Crowns and Leaves
by Minthis
Summary: Royalty and elves are all asked to join the Gray wardens in preperation for the battle against the Blight. The story starts near Ostagar, retelling the travels of the new Gray Wardens. Attempting to stay true to the world, but slightly more realistic.
1. Chapter 1

"Aaah Duncan, it is good to see you here" one of the elder wardens cried out and rose from the fireplace where he and a few of their fellows had been talking.

"And you, Terrin. I have gathered a few recruits, is everything ready for the Joining this evening?"

"It is, how many did you manage to gather this time?" Terrin smiled and motioned Duncan to take place among them.

"Only three" Duncan replied as he moved to them, suddenly feeling exhausted, despite his body he knew he would die soon, one way or another. "The youngest of Teyrn Cousland's family, and two dalish elves though they are almost too weak to take part in the joining now."

Terrin frowned, treating Duncan to one of his questioning looks.

"They encountered a relic that housed a caged pride demon, exactly how they managed to free it enough for it to do harm I do not know." Duncan closed his eyes, his mind already back at the scene. The two elves had been badly wounded, the boy more so as he had been discovered almost a day later, but without a doubt the taint was within them both. The darkness of the cave seemed oppressing at the time, only enhanced by the ever present whisperings of the darkspawn.

The youths had been thorough though, every spider and creature in that cave had been killed off and all the traps had been disabled, from there it had been an easy task to follow the traces of a demon.

"They carry a form of taint that the darkspawn also carry and it weighs them down, but they are worthy additions to our cause" Duncan closed off his memories again, least they get too firm a grip.

"If they survive" injected Terrin, looking into the fire.

"If they survive" agreed Duncan "What of you?"

"ha! I got myself an Aeducan"

"A dwarfen noble?"

"The second son of the first house" Terrin waited a moment as he observed Duncan. The other warden was doubting him which brought a smile back to his face, the youth always thought they had it all figured out. "Of cause he was sentenced to death for killing the first in the succession line."

Duncan's expression changed from doubtful to worried. Not all that were picked to become wardens were worth admitting after all. "And did he?"

"He refuses it, and I believe him... Still dwarfen politics have always been a bloody sport so it may be the case. Either way really, he fought through quite a lot of darkspawn to get to us so he is more than a worthy addition."

"Dwarfen politicians are not the only one who play a bloody game, the Couslands' daughter was one of the few who survived Howe's attack on their castle"

"Curious, still, there are more important matters to attend!"

Indeed there were. Duncan stood again, he would make his rounds in camp, gather the blood and other supplies needed for the ritual joining and then send the rag-tag band of recruits into a trial by fire: they will have to slay darkspawn and return with blood samples.

As he walked certain plans were falling into place, the elves would be too weak to attempt to best the wilds and the darkspawn alone and Alistair needed a few men for a task of his own.

By midday everything had been set in motion. Aeducan's second had taken command of the group going out to hunt for blood and Alistair had been sent to see on the elves progress. If they were well enough then the three of them would also be heading into the Wilds but for a different task entirely.

* * *

Alistair groaned when he was out of earshot from the rest of the wardens. First the Reverend Mother succeeded in her ambush and now to look up on two sick dalish.

At the infirmary the elves had been easy to find, they were the only ones not screaming their lungs out in pain or fear. The girl was sitting by the lad's legs, one hand clutching to his. The boy lay with closed eyes and his face was twitching slightly from the pain. As Alistair approached he could hear her quiet song. Alistair gave a light cough but it didn't seem to alert her. Not surprising considering the commotion all around them. Time for a different approach.

"I am sorry to interrupt"

In response the girl whirled to face him in a graceful motion. "Greetings _sheml_... human"

Alistair noticed that the boy was watching him as well, though he kept lying on the makeshift bed, his eyes only opened a fraction.

"Duncan asked me to see how you are doing"

The girl seemed surprised at that. "We are holding out, thank you." she glanced at her friend. "Is he ready to let us through the Joining?"

"The other group of recruits have just left, they will be getting what is needed for the ritual."

Her face was unreadable and for but a moment her eyes became unfocused. "I am glad to hear" she gave a smile though it didn't reach her eyes.

"There you are Alistair" he turned only to find Duncan walking through the crowd towards them.

He might as well have checked on them himself. Alistair unconsciously straitened a bit as Duncan joined them by the dalishs' beds.

"I am pleased that you are already up Lyra, because I have need of your skills, and yours as well Tamlen." The elf in question gave a miniature nod but didn't bother opening his eyes.

"Of cause Duncan, we will aid as best we can." the girl replied in an almost singsong voice making Alistair wonder if she didn't use that phrase overly much back in their old home.

"Alistair and the two of you will be heading into the Wilds." The interest was at once piqued. "There is some old documents, treaties, in an abandoned tower a few hours walk from here. I want the three of you to get them and get back."

"That is in the part where the darkspawn have set up residence though, isn't it?" Alistair asked, though of cause he knew that. He wanted the elves reaction though when Duncan told them. To his dismay neither seemed surprised though the girl gave a concerned glance at the Tamlin.

"It is, but it is still far from the main force. You three will sneak in and sneak out once you have the treaties." Duncan's voice was his usual resigned one, the one he usually got when darkspawn was mentioned.

"We will not fail, Duncan."

* * *

I will not fail you, Duncan.

That of cause was easier said than done. The two elves had gotten a potion that nulled much of their pain but it didn't make the mood much better. The three of them had not even made it to the gates of the camp before Tamlin had pointed out that sneaking in splintmail was a tricky task, which had inevitably resulted in a disagreement which Duncan had settled. And so Alistair had been made to change armor to a stinking leather armor which was biting all the wrong places.

As they moved through the forest swarms however he was forced to give the elves their due, Lyra had been moving ahead a bit and with an unmatched teamwork they managed to kill two scouts which Alistair had picked out using his special ability to sense darkspawn. He felt almost useless though, compared to how he usually did things. He was used to charge with a sword and enough armor to stop his opponents. But here things were much different and Alistair had resigned to sensing the darkspawn, keeping an eye on the map and simply following the elves as they made their way further and further into darkspawn territory.

They had been going for over an hour before Lyra asked for a rest, which Alistair agreed to only due to their sickness. The forest and the swampy undergrowth made both travel and rest unpleasent.

"You both seem very at home out here"

Tamlen didn't dignify it with a response and once again Lyra tried to cover for it though she looked much more pale than she had earlier. "We used to visit the Wilds in our travels."

She sat down on a flat rock and the two others followed suit. "I am sorry for the stop, my vision was just... swimming... a bit." Tamlen gave her a smile but quickly returned to his set features and kept an eye on their surroundings.

"It is fine, gather your strength while I look at the map"

Alistair trailed the route he guessed they had gone, there were very few actual landmarks out there though he did have a fair guess where they were. The ruins they were going for was only a small kilometer south-west. He closed his eyes and sensing for the darkspawn taint, there was a little in that direction, though he couldn't see so far. Alistair doubled his efforts, Gray Wardens were masters of sensing out darkspawn and he wanted to be useful on this mission so Tamlin wouldn't get all the credit for their coming success.

Alistair sensed a bit further and a bit more... his senses sharpening and then... a huge mass appeared out of nowhere. Moving in one motion like a single being, so vast that it covered most of his sight. The chock drove him out of the meditation.

"Are you alright _shemlin_?" Tamlen asked, only a slight concern in his voice. Which was enough for Alistair, deep down Tamlen was a good guy, which was heartening.

"I was just sensing out the darkspawn"

"Any around?"

That was a good question. As far as he saw there was nothing, but the vast masses of taint that had appeared from nowhere had filled most of his vision. "I don't think so"

Alistair wanted to look again, to be sure without a doubt that the way was clear, but the revelation had been overpowering. What if taint was all he was seeing? What if his senses had become useless just because he pushed himself?

He didn't dare look. He admitted to himself in shame. It was as simple as that. Duncan could likely guide him, but seeing such taint was a horrible sight, even more so when facing it alone.

"Are you ready Lyra?" Alistair asked, hoping to avoid dwelling on his problem. Only to realize that she had fallen asleep where she sat, a half eaten lump of bread lying in her lap.

Tamlen and Alistair exchanged a glance and Tamlen moved over to wake her while Alistair gathered the map and consulted it for a last time.

* * *

"This is the place." And it was, Alistair was sure of it. The tower ruins had been home to a small band of genlock. Lyra had gotten an arrow in her side but Tamlin had examined her and treated it to the best of his ability. In the end it had become somewhat of a brawl in the camp and finally Alistair had gotten a chance to use his sword, glad for the chance to help the group along.

"It has collapsed" Tamlin said practically while he supported Lyra to the foot of the crumpled tower.

"The chest the treaties were kept in should have been protected and heavily warded, it should still hold." Alistair moved around the base, looking for a way to get in, or a place where the stones were small enough to dig through. Tamlin looked around as well while Lyra sat on one of the larger stones only half conscious.

They were about to give up when a woman's laugh startled them. It came back from Lyra and their backpacks. They were met by a young woman as they entered their makeshift camp site.

"And these are the brave men who leave a defenseless woman alone in the Wilds is it?" The woman gave them a grin but shrugged as Tamlin got bow and arrow handy. "'Tis hardly the way to greet anyone, even here."

"What are you doing here?" demanded Tamlin, his arrow already aimed at her.

"I am just traveling the Wilds, helping Mother..." She turned her back to Tamlin and moved to face Lyra who had wrapped herself in a blanket but hadn't dared move.

"Come, let us have a proper civil greeting. Those two _friends_ of yours have worse manners than the chasind."

"You are a Witch of the Wilds, aren't you?" Alistair asked, to her back. Survival had to be more important than proper greetings.

"A Witch of the Wilds? Ha! You may call me Morrigan, if you wish, but don't tie me to an image made to spook _children_." She was laughing at him, of cause she was laughing at him. What a stupid question.

"My name is Alistair, and this is Tamlin. The girl over there is..."

"Lyra, yes she told me. You shouldn't have brought her here, she will die from those injuries."

Alistair looked at Lyra more closely, she wasn't scared, she was sleeping, or unconscious.

"I didn't know she was..." only then did Alistair notice Tamlin, he still held the bow drawn and following Morrigan. He must think that Morrigan had done something to Lyra.

"Can you help her?" Alistair asked, trying to gauge the situation more objectively. Lyra and this woman had obviously spoken, and while Morrigan had been laughing Lyra had gone unconscious. Without a doubt Morrigan was also an apostate which made her dangerous and an unknown quantity.

"I cannot, Mother might however, and I think she would like to see you."

Alistair thought for a moment, so many unknown factors, and why was this suddenly up to him? He had always hated to be the center of attention, the one to make the choices.

"Can you show us the way?"

He had known he would ask, to save a friend he could do nothing else, but asking for aid from an apostate might lead them all to their deaths.

Alistair offered a silent prayer to the Maker though experience told him that it would not help at all.

* * *

It had not been their deaths though traveling the swamps with Morrigan and a sleeping girl between them had certainly taxed both he and Tamlin. It was nothing however, compared to the meeting with Mother, which had been more than a little unnerving for Alistair.

Tamlin had been as hostile against Mother as this Morrigan right until Lyra had recovered from sleep. The old lady had spewed some nonsense about beliefs and fate and other random stuff before she without much fuss had handed him the treaties from the tower. She was mad as a fruit bat but who was he to look said fruit bat in the mouth?

Just as Alistair had gotten the treaties, Mother send for Morrigan and instructed them all to start moving onward to Ostagar because the darkspawn horde was moving north which would make the trip back difficult if not impossible if they didn't set off now. Morrigan had played the silent guide leading them almost the fully way to Ostagar without meeting a single darkspawn without waiting for thanks she had headed back to Mother and their small hut.

Alistair had never been so pleased by the smell or sound in the camp as he entered with Lyra and Tamlin. Alistair had taken her backpack and Tamlin had been supporting her all the way. About a half hour into the walk from Morrigan's hut Lyra had collapsed the drug keeping the pain at bay had failed her and she had not been able to stand unaided since. Tamlin and Lyra headed off to the infirmary to get Lyra's wounds tended and Alistair was left with the treaties.

"So you return, I was beginning to worry that you would not make it back. It is good to see you safe Alistair!" Duncan exclaimed as had found him in the Circle mages area. Despite an effort Alistair couldn't help be warmed by the elder wardens concerns.

"It is good to be back Duncan, and we found the treaties." Alistair fished the documents from his back they were worn from time but otherwise quite whole.

"It is good that these are once again in our control." Duncan placed them carefully in his own pack which was tied to his belt. "How are the elves faring?"

"The potion you gave them is wearing out and Lyra was injured but they are both alright."

Duncan frowned but if he had any comments he kept them to himself. "And you Alistair, are you alright?"

Alistair was about to joke it away but the feeling from the swarm returned to him, the dreadful feeling when he had tried to sense the darkspawn. "Master, I," how to explain it? "In the swarm I tried to sense the darkspawn, I may have pushed a bit and I..."

"And you saw the taint in the elves?" Duncan sighed and motioned Alistair to follow him.

"I should have mentioned it, it is the taint that makes them so ill, but they must master it in the Joining."

"That wasn't what I..." A piece fell into place. It was not the land he had seen, it had been the elves and the taint within them. The huge mass of corruption that suddenly appeared was the diffuse one inside the people sitting right in front of him! His sense had not been ruined.

"Sorry, I never realized it was they who had the taint, I was worried that maybe..." Alistair ended it with a nervous laugh. How silly he had been. Duncan just smiled fatherly and shook his head.

"Don't worry Alistair, I doubt you will have any trouble with the taint within yourself for many many years. - Now, go to the old Temple and prepare. I will send them all to you within an hour.

The old Temple was much like the rest of Ostagar – a ruin. All the recruits were gathered for the first time. Duncan stood with his three, ser Terrin stood with the dwarf and ser Mack stood with two humans who Alistair didn't recognize. Ser Mack was only a year into the Wardens service and as such his students would be the last to enter the Joining, the first was Duran Aeducan the dwarf who may have killed his elder brother to get to the throne...

"We are all gathered. As the newest of us Alistair, would you recite the words of the Joining?"

Alistair felt his heart skip a beat. He had known this would come of cause, but he hated being the center of things.

Duran had taken the first sip only seconds after Alistair had spoken the ancient words. The dwarf had fallen to his knees hacking and coughing violently until a violent cough sent him backwards where his head (fortunately with helmet) struck the stone floor and he was knocked out. None of the Wardens moved to check on him, it was all a process they must go through. Shortly afterwards the Dwarf awoke coughing and cursing in the same breath and the cup was passed to Tamlin.

Tamlin had taken the cup without the slightest hesitation almost drinking greedily perhaps hoping that the quantity alone would kill him and rid him of the sickness that had forced both elves into a such weakened condition. Tamlin survived though and as did Lyra and Elissa Cousland. Lyra had woken from her initiation rite only long enough to stand where she fainted again. The Wardens took it as of her illness and not that she failed the joining.

Ser Mack's charges were less lucky though, that a few die in the Joining was not uncommon but that a Warden picked two new recruits only to have them both die said a lot more about the Warden than anything else. Ser Mack was taken aside when the last of his recruits had been declared dead.

"I welcome you all to the order of Gray Wardens. You arrive on the eve of battle, and as such you will all take part in the battle. This will be worse than first test you went through earlier this day but take heart. We gray wardens have always succeeded in our undertakings and this will be no different!" Terrin had met everyones eyes as he spoke, and his face radiated such confidence and control that his words seemed so possible.

Everything seemed so quiet after that and gathered in the midst of Gray Wardens, Alistair could not help but think back on all the wonderful times he and the others had shared in the last half year.

"Come Duncan, the King asks for you at the meeting, we should not delay any longer. - Recruits you will get your orders after _we_ have settled on a battleplan. I suggest you get to know your fellows and rest up if needed." The last part was directed to Lyra who was sitting barely conscious near Tamlin.

* * *

The Aeducan brat had finally left the table, if only to get more ale, and Elissa was glad for it. Throughout the first _test_ into the Wilds the Aeducan's Second had attempted to take command, barking orders for seemingly no other reason than to yell at them. It had taken all her training to talk some sense into him and even then he seemed like a bloodthirsty lout without a shred of human decency!

"You must be teyrn Cousland's daughter, am I right?" A young man had taken the dwarf's seat opposite her which was a fortunate change of company, even if this man was a commoner.

"That is correct, but you have me at a disadvantage."

"My name is Alistair, I was only made a Gray Warden half a year ago."

Elissa offered her hand and Alistair shook it – the first breach of protocol but she was willing to let that slip. "Ah yes, you were the one stuttering at the Joining!" Damn it! "I apologize, it was all just so new to me."

She could see how he had taken the comment the second she pronounced it but such trouble was ever present. Besides it was difficult to take the concerns of commoners seriously, though she knew that it was a flaw in herself. A flaw which may now risked to chase off the lad and thus open the way for that Aeducan.

"It is quite alright, my lady." Alistair smiled taking a healthy swig of his mug. "How do you feel now that it has all passed?"

It was an interesting question, how _did_ she feel? The grief of losing house and parents were still there, as was the fears of the horde which was heading their way. They might all die but how did she feel?

"Relieved, I think. For some reason things seem less dark than they have in the last few days."

"I know!" Alistair thew his hands up towards the sky as if to say that she was the only one understanding what he had been preaching. "It is the warm fuzzy feeling that only a blight can give." He looked perfectly serious for a moment before gave a sly grin. "Or something along those lines, surely"

Elissa gave him a dry smile "Surely"

"Alistair you are asked to gather the new members and show them to Duncan's tent for orders" One of the Wardens not so much older than Alistair called giving his shoulder a friendly slap.

Alistair might be commoner, but the easy charm he carried with him and the acceptance of his fellows was something Elissa could only envy. The Cousland was generally well liked but it was in no way an easy acceptance. It was always strained, even her brief flirtatious phase with Dairren had been held at arms length.

With an inward sigh Elissa rose as well, Duncan was her superior here and had held his word, granting an audience with the King. Now all that was left was to survive the evening and then pass the news to Fergus. Tears threatened and Elissa closed herself off to the softer side. Being a warrior was like being royalty, it demanded part act and part skill. She had trained both and her acting was now such that it came, perhaps too, easy for her. Alistair had already gone to fetch the dwarf who must have stumbled over a keg somewhere.

The elvers had already arrived when Elissa got to Duncan's tent, the girl seemed to have gotten up after passing out for the second time in only five minutes. Had it not been for all the stories of the prowess of the Wardens she would have said that it was a mistake letting those two in, they look far too frail, and the fact that they were sick spoke of poor hygiene, even their backpacks, which they still carried around, were thick with mud - some of it even fresh.

"Welcome Elissa, you have met these two in the joining, Tamlen and Lyra."

They both gave a small bow, with their hands crossed across the chest. Unsure of a proper greeting she just gave them a van smile. "I am Elissa Cousland, Teryn Cousland's daughter, a pleasure"

Both elves were quietly giving each other a glance in turn before the boy, Tamlin supposedly, returned her smile. "It is good to meet you" though the greeting was as half hearted as his smile had been.

At least she wasn't the only one out of place. At least he hadn't kissed her hand, otherwise she would have had to wash it, no telling where dalish elves wander. Thankfully Alistair and the dwarf arrived not long after, both looking to be in high spirits as they were laughing over something.

"Ahh, you have all come, good. The king and the teyrn has deviced a strategy. The king and a minor part of the army will stay before the main gate awaiting the main force of the darkspawn horde. They will be the only directly visible target on the battlefield and the darkspawn should not see the trap we have laid for them unless the archdemon itself appears in the battle."

"And if it does?" Elissa asked, not entirely comfortable letting the king be a decoy against such odds.

"If it does then leave it to the senior Gray Wardens. As I was saying. They will not notice that Teyrn Logaine lies in ambush. He will when the main part of the horde has passed cut them off and attack them from their flanks. This will ensure that the darkspawn cannot flee"

Elissa looked around, most there seemed to agree with the warden readily. Fools!

"It will also ensure that the darkspawn will fight all the fiercer! Besides, how can the king survive that long in the heat of battle? Surely they cannot survive a continued onslaught while they wait for _the main part of the horde_ has passed!"

"There is also the question of how Logaine and his men will know when to attack." Duran muttered darkly, giving the slightest of nods in Elissa's direction which she deftly ignored.

"There are mages, catapults, stones and various traps to hold the worst of the attack at bay, when the teyrn attacks the gates will be opened and the king and his men will slip out of the fight. Teyrn Loghain will get his tactical victory and the king will get to fight at the front lines. Alistair and another Warden will, along with a minor group of soldiers, will light the signal for the teyrn."

Elissa felt her cheeks warm. It was like being back at the castle listening to fathers strategy meetings, everything was considered... The thought of her father stung a bit though less than it had. She quelled the emotions and focused on the task at hand.

"Your part in this will be to protect the fortress itself from attacks from the east and north."

"We will not see combat?!" Duran asked, sounding not a little offended that he would not be in the main battle.

"You may, but we can hope you will not!" Snapped Duncan. "If this is to work everyone needs to do their part." Duncan sighed and in a less sturdy voice added "Hopefully the darkspawn too will do what we expect of them."

"you sound doubtful" It was Tamlen who spoke this time, his accent very different from the rest of the group.

"I just worry, as do we all... I suggest that you split up as you did as earlier and gather whatever is needed to defend against groups of... say ten or so. They _must not _ breach you! There is a small group of conscripts already gathered at the entrances who will follow your command... But remember these are not trained soldiers... I have much to see to, so feel free to do what you must before the evening. It is expected that the darkspawn will want the cover of night but nothing is certain."


	2. Chapter 2

Elissa Cousland, second daughter of the teyrn ruling Highever, newly initiated Gray Warden, was disappointed. The men under her command had been assigned the task of guarding the northern entrance not for their skills in the noble art of fighting – no that was untrue, they had been assigned the task for their complete and utter _lack_ of skills in the noble art of fighting as well as respect for authority. Despite both her and Duran's best efforts they didn't seem to take their task at all serious. They had made it very clear that the reason they had been sent _all _the way to the other side of the camp was to stop them from doing trouble elsewhere.

"What will you do when the darkspawn come running against you?!" she practically yelled at the nearest of them. He was a tall man visibly missing four teeth and had a lack of respect that wanted her to order him frayed.

"Little miss we have been we have been here guarding these back entrances every time those things have attacked. It won't be different, now shut up and let us play _Dirty Crow_ or go get us some ale."

Elissa clenched her fists tightly but didn't move to strike. If these men were to work for her they needed to not be in the infirmary.

"Listen, if you don't help us at _least_ barricade the doorway then I shall have you sent to the prison for treason!"

"Listen here miss, we won't see as much a shadow of these things, just not clever enough eh? So let us"

"No! You listen here! I shall fetch some ale and a battleaxe. If the barricade is not built and if you are all not in uniform when I return, then my friend Duran here shall have a light _warm up_ on your hides!"

She gave the tall man a glare and turned on her heels walking at a furious pace towards the weapon stores. To her great delight and relief the men were all suddenly busy gathering wood and stone to block the passage off, someone yelling orders to get their armor from their tents.

Once she had passed the nearest corner though she took her time, she would get them their ale, though watered down a bit to keep them sober for the night. Out of curiosity she headed to the eastern part of the camp which would be past the tents. If darkspawn entered here they could torch all the supply wagons as well. A part of her disliked having the supplies so close to the walls but there was hardly any choice in the matter. A minute later she saw Lyra, still in armor, running with a crate of small metal shards from the smithy. Elissa waved at her and Lyra noticed and came towards her.

"Any luck on your side?" Elissa asked as Lyra was within earshot.

"Any luck?" she asked and slowed down to walking pace.

"With the _guards_ you are stationed with."

Lyra seemed to consider it before tilting her head looking perhaps to indicate that she didn't understand. Maybe the girl was touched in the head.

"Duran and I had much trouble getting the soldiers to listen to us, I can imagine it is worse for you." Elves and all that.

"Ah yes, no, actually Tamlin talked to them and they started digging and I have gathered some iron." Elissa cast a doubtful glance to the metal shards but said nothing.

Had Elissa been in any doubt before then she wasn't any longer, the girl was clearly touched.

"So what are you doing that requires digging? A moat?" How funny it would be if she actually wanted to make that.

"No I doubt that would work here, though there is plenty of water. We are building a wall"

"A wall of earth?"

"Partly, but of wood too, you should see it! One among the men stationed here used to build houses and such. If the darkspawn only have a single line to enter they will be easy targets for our bows." Lyra gave a weak smile at that, almost like she had just told a secret. Perhaps at the thought of killing with bows, elves could be crazy like that.

"What is the iron for then?"

"Arrow tips and one of the men said he was very good with small traps and such. We thought we could make them a bit more frightened to take the trip around to us that way." The way she spoke of it seemed creepy but it was too late now.

As they reached the eastern gate Elissa was surprised how much they had managed in the little time. Several of the soldiers where out in the dirt digging though the ground seemed very muddy, not a good thing if you were building anything though it didn't seem to bother them overly.

Lyra put the crate down and moved over to a group of humans who were all looking over some drawings. Elissa left them to it and turned to find Tamlin in all this. He was just outside the wall digging with a few of the others though he had discarded his chest armor for a shirt, while the rest of the men had simply discarded their armor.

"It is very good progress."

Tamlin looked up and it took a moment before he found her standing by giant stone arch leading into the fortress. He placed the shovel in the dirt and climbed the small dirt pile they had dug up.

"Yes. The humans can work well,.." she didn't hear the rest as the elf mumbled the last part. It had surely been an insult. She could appreciate that she was not alone in her problem.

"The wall will be finished in an hour, the biggest problem would be if too many charge or if they got mages among them." Tamlin wiped the sweat of his forehead and fanned himself.

"Do you need anything?" He looked her directly in the eye and kept the contact.

Slightly unsettled Elissa looked away, elves really knew nothing of common decency! "No I should be going." To which the elf muttered something and got back to his shovel, which had almost been swallowed by the mud.

* * *

On her way back from the supply wagons her mind played out several scenarios of the coming battle. A mindless rabble? a group of skilled soldiers? mages, siege weaponry, ogres,... Planning was all good, but planning against what? If it was a mindless group they would keep banging on their barricade, and then what? Get through? Die of bleeding fists? She shook her head. This was not a mindless horde they were fighting. Stupid certainly, but at times they had made ambushes,..

The problem was their spellcasters, they were clever enough to guide the rest of them.

How to disable a spellcaster then, and how to stop an onslaught if it is something like ogres or whatever else the darkspawn possessed of monsters?

"My lady?" Elissa's focus snapped back to the real world, where was she anyway? She must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.

"Makers breath it is you! I thought that your father was adamant that you were not to come. Did you manage to convince him to be allowed to follow?"

Elissa stared at the woman who had been talking to her, she had been a squire or maybe knight of one of the minor bann tied to her father. "I am sorry, I must have forgotten your name"

"Venera, of house Fladd, my lady" she gave a short bow.

"You rode with my brother did you not?"

"Indeed my lady, I"

Elissa interrupted. "Is he back from the scouting trip? I bring news..."

"I am sorry my lady, he should not return before later this eve. Teyrn Loghain has given him special orders to assist in the coming battle."

"The teyrn?" Elissa tried to think of everything she knew of Loghain but nothing came save that he was a hero.

"Yes my lady, we were requested to enter the eastern part of the wilds picking off as many as we could and attempt to drag the horde to fight us in daytime."

The eastern part of the wilds. What if they needed to enter the fortress? With all the traps and walls – not to mention barricades they might get slaughtered if they bring a horde.

"Thank you Venera" Elissa was about to return to her thoughts when something struck her.

"Why aren't you with brother?"

Venera did her best to hide her dismay though it still came through. "The _cooks_ asked for some hands to aid them"

"But you..."

"I was volunteered and I cannot speak against my lord" Though the girl did look like she had a thing or two to say about the matter.

"I understand, if you wish then I could use a hand. We are to guard the northern entrance. The men there are lazy and hardly a grain of brain between them. We could use you there if you wish."

"I don't know my lady" Venera looked hesitant back the way she had come.

"Venera," the girl straitened at Elissa's tone. "Which task do you do best, and which would you prefer; Cooking till your lord returns or fighting darkspawn?"

There was no hesitation in her answer. "darkspawn, my lady. On both accounts."

"It is settled then! You go to the northern entrance and help set up a proper defense. I left them to it half an hour ago and I doubt they have managed even something half decent."

"My lady" Venera nodded and was about to turn when she was handed the keg from Elissa.

"Could you take that to them as well? I shall inform the cook that he has lost a helper."

Venera looked as though she was about to protest but then let it fall. "My lady." there was a court nod and then she turned, heading north with the keg.

Elissa marked the direction. The general positions of the camp coming back to her. The question was then which kitchen did Venera work at?

Elissa waved an elf over and gave him orders to go to each of the cooks and tell them that Venera was needed for the defense. The elf bowed deeply, something that couldn't have been easy with all the goods he was carrying, and continued on his way. Life was so much easier when everyone knew their place and did as they were told.

With a keg of ale and Venera their defense was beginning to take shape. The barricade had been made so that it could easily roll aside but it could not be pushed. And as long as the locking mechanism was in place it wouldn't move anywhere. Several holes had been made to fire from and a few men had been sent up to the ruined ramparts to keep watch and shoot anything resembling magic-using darkspawn. As the land started to grow darker the unease in camp grew as well. The nearby horses had been jumpy wanting to leave and shapes and shadows seemed to show themselves in Elissa's mind only to dissipate and vanish when she tried to focus on it.

It did not get better as the evening progressed and save for the news the servants brought they heard very little other than distant explosions and iron meeting iron. Elissa looked up noting the tower's beacon still wasn't lit. The battle had been going on and off for about an hour surely and yet the main force must be holding back if the trap was not ready to be sprung.

"Take it easy miss, it may just be such an easy victory that the beacon isn't needed." That _may_ be true, the elves had said that the frontlines held fast with very little actual damage done. She spared the tower another glance and closed her eyes. It felt like a shadow play was playing inside her mind though the figures were vague and the meaning didn't get through. The play had started just before the darkspawn attacked and surely held a connection.

She sat there eyes closed with a crossbow near, eyes closed watching the images behind her eyes and listening to Duran pace back and forth calling for a status from the sentries once in a while but the message was always the same. 'all clear'.

At one point the players of shadow seemed to change somehow. Worried she sent a runner to the front to hear news but there was little change, a minor group had attacked the main gates but there was no breach. Elissa shook her head. It was a waste of time. She had gotten riled up for nothing. They had been under attack for almost three hours and it had been nothing but a few darkspawn little more than what she and the dwarf had killed off back in the swamps.

Her mind inevitably returned to her lost parents. So much was lost there. Now that she had become a gray warden it was even more so. She would not return to a quiet life now, could not. Duncan had explained that the taint reduces the lifespan and not just from the work hazards. She had always imagined growing old in that keep, living with Fergus in their old age. So many hopes and dreams had been shattered, all due to Howe. He and Father had even fought together back when they were young... _She_ had even allowed his stupid child to take her dancing. It was Howe's fault, but Howe's blood would not be enough to avenge the monstrosity. She would see him suffer. She would kill him painfully and then... She would kill everyone!

Elissa's eyes were wide open. Such rage and thoughts were not her own! Her heart was beating quickly and she felt cold with sweat. The shadow dance behind her eyes had changed.

"Go, see what is happening. Something big must be underway!" She snapped at the elven runner who had been resting on a barrel. He was so surprised that he almost fell down.

"Sentries, anything?" she called, ignoring the way everyone in camp looked at her. Behind her eyes the shadow dance had changed even worse. It was no longer shadows dancing but flames, flames and blood.

"Nothing my lady"

Everything seemed to stop, and then she heard it. She might have felt it before it actually reached her though. A dragon roar. It was no simple raid anymore, it was a blight.

"W-what was that?" stuttered one of the men.

"The archdemon" supplied Duran as he hefted his axe.

The man was about to continue when the sentries reported in.

"Movement at the wall! About 20"

"Keep down! Only risk yourself if you see a spellcaster!" Elissa yelled back to him.

"Get ready everyone, you three get ready with the crossbows and you." she pointed to a lad not more than 13 years old. The war came to everyone...

"Fetch those vials and bring them near the wall, careful you don't drop any of them or they will burn off your foot!"

She took a moment to survey it all. Duran had given similar orders and things seemed to be moving as it should, she gave a passing thought to the elves hoping their idea would work before she joined her men.

* * *

The first wave of darkspawn had not been lead by a caster nor any other that could direct the group, ultimately they were all pierced by bolts as they had without luck attempted to move the wagon-blockade that stood in the doorway. The second was a much smaller group but their caster had directed their tainted archers and the sentries had died even before they could take the caster down. Had it not been for the bottles of acid that the kid had fetched he would likely have continued to hurl fire down at the barricade till nothing was left. The third group was even smaller and passed directly by their barricade before they realized they had gone too far and by then they had been cut down.

"My lady!" shouted someone in the back of the camp just as the last of the genlocks died. It was the runner.

"What news?" she demanded while reloading her crossbow.

"The worst. The King is hard pressed, the defenders on the walls surrounding the First Gate has all been killed and the beacon is not yet lit!"

How much could go wrong in a single battle?

"Duran! We move, we got to lit the beacon and open the First gate for the King before his army is destroyed."

The dwarf made his way down from the barricade bringing his axe with him.

"Delin! You are in charge here get someone to take the sentry duty and hold this place! Venera you are with us!" The dwarf yelled back as the two Wardens ran from the camp.

Delin? It took a moment before she could put a face on the name. It was the 13 year old kid. Maker have mercy on us all, but it was done.

* * *

They reached the front of the fortress, built between two hills with the First Gate placed at the bottom with a fortress surrounding either side of the mighty doors. But it looked like a battlefield, even though the real battle raged on far below them in the valley. All the mages and archers had been killed, several of the catapults had been burned, shattered by rocks, spells or fire Elissa was not sure. But so much death!

As they reached the front ramparts of the fortress they could see the true scope of the blight. Countless darkspawn were all pushing and screaming to enter the fighting that took place just before the First Gate, yet hardly any defenders were left to battle the tide, and Loghain was nowhere to be seen – he was likely still waiting for the message that had not been sent. Should she open the doors for the king and pray that it could be closed in time so as to now allow the darkspawn entry or should she signal Loghain. If she did signal Loghain the king was surely lost if he wasn't already. She didn't need to think further. If the king died then the kingdom would falter and the lands would never unite.

Truly, there was no choice in the matter.

"We got to save the king!" Elissa said as the three of them stared out at the sea of violence just beneath the fortress walls.

Most of the defenders however had been killed and she noted several darkspawn were scattered amongst the corpses. These darkspawn must have entered the keep somehow, but there was hardly time for such thoughts. The gatehouse was thankfully still standing though it seemed to have been the first target of the darkspawn that had breached.

"Duran, take Venera and remove the log barring the gate, I will find the release for the portcullis and drop it as soon as the king and his men have gone through." Both nodded and ran to the tower containing a stairway down to the First gate far below them. Elissa ran for the gatehouse. She had barely registered that the door was locked before she threw herself at it as hard and as fast as she could. But it didn't as much as creek. She tried to calm down a bit. Surely there is another way in. There was none she could see, expect...

A wide window decorated the wall facing inside the keep perhaps so they could communicate with the people of the keep. But the gatehouse was built spanning the entire breadth of the wall, meaning that she would have to climb on the wall with nothing but air for many meters below her.

Elissa wasn't afraid of highs, not as such, but she had a healthy respect for them.

It will be fine, just don't look down and don't forget to keep a firm grip. Of cause she would have to get out of her chainmail which was easier said than done. She tried the door again but it didn't move in the least. She fought a battle getting the chain tunic off but once that was done the rest almost fell off by itself. She took a peek over the side, which proved to be a bad idea though she saw Venera and the dwarf working a series of ropes to unbar the door. There was no time to be a coward now. She forced herself to take the first step onto the wall, fortunately the wall had not been constructed from flat stone so she found a foothold easy. Now came the hard part, could the foothold carry her weight? She clung on to the bare stone with her hands and lifted her left foot from the safety of the walkway. Below her was nothing and the wind seemed to be happy to remind her of that. She shook her head and the spell wore off. She had to make it.

She dug in her left foot, got a grip with the right hand, then the right foot, left hand...

Only a small meter to go. She was almost there she reached out with her right hand when the ramparts took a blow from a catapult stone, or maybe a fireball or Maker knows what. She dug her right hand against the rock but the whole thing had loosened and part of the stone that supported her fell the many meters to the ground. Her left foot dangled though the right still held. In her panic she tried to force it into the small safespot she had used but it was no longer there and in doing so her right hand came loose. It had never had a true grip on anything and she felt herself starting to fall backwards. She closed her eyes shut.

This was it, death. Her whole body was tense and it took a moment before she realized that her right foot and left arm still held. She had not fallen, though she had never felt her muscles so tired. Below her the doors had been opened and the kings soldiers poured through, fleeing for their lives though Elissa barely registered it. With what was a monumental effort she managed to find hold again and finally into the gatehouse. It felt like an age she had worked to get in but it had not been, she realized, as she looked down from the window. Several of the men was now in safety but not all, though a few darkspawn had entered the keep. The window was a bad place, it was hard to see anything that happened below. She glanced around, the room was dark but the distant fires gave just enough light to see the many chains carrying what must be a monstrous portcullis, with such a mechanism it but be a study one, which was only a good thing at current point. A wooden one would likely shatter if it hit the ground at free fall from this hight. She gave the mechanisms a quick look and then returned to the window looking out. More soldiers were still coming through though so was the darkspawn. When to close? She kept looking out hoping that the last humans would make their way in so she could drop the barrier.

Finally the waves of humans died out, and she ran to lower the great weight onto the hordes below. She pulled a lever but nothing happened. Pulled another, then both. Then a third – nothing. She traced the chains, only two of them could possibly be attached to do this. The first and third lever. Without a seconds hesitation she pulled both of them, something clicked and the sudden rush of iron chains flying by and the screams that it made threw her to the floor. The whole tower shook and the whine grew louder until something snapped at the controls where one of the handles flew off and continued with the iron chain to someplace below. She rose to her feet and looked out the window. There were no more darkspawn entering and the few inside was getting killed. They had won, won time, if nothing else.


	3. Chapter 3

Tamlen threw another of the bottles containing liquid fire, striking another group of the darkspawn. Their group had long ago run out of arrows, bolts, and things to bar the doorway. They could not last and neither could they run - the escape rute up to the next gate was within the darkspawn-casters range and the few who had run had died by fire. Lyra hurry!

Two more hurlocks pressed through the passageway, almost half dead from the fire and acid that had been thrown into the makeshift barricade the defenders had made to halt the onslaught. Ever since the First Gate had been shut off the waves that rushed against them seemed endless, though only a few darkspawn could enter at a time it was still more than a challenge since Tamlin and his men were tired and ever more spellcasters rained fire and frost down upon them. So far only two had died but the blow to moral had been devastating. Why had it gone so wrong?!

Tamlen picked up a hoot of an owl amidst the battle. He ducked below a wild swing from the still burning hurlock and thrust his sword below the armor and stabbed the monster's heart. He moved away from the corpse wiping the sword off on the monster and returned Lyra's hoot. She would be in safe distance.

"Any more of those fire potions?" yelled one of the men who had not quite given up, they were fightened to death but they still fought. It was a quality which was well worthy of respect. Tamlen usually didn't think much of _shemlen_ or their ways, but these men were made of good stuff, a shame that they would all soon be dead.

"Here!" Tamlen handed one over. He himself had only one left.

Tamlen moved back to his bow and picked up the very last arrow, letting the arrow spit a piece of burning coal and moved up the almost ruined wall. Lyra's plan had been foolhardy but he saw little choice. All the hurlock and genlock casters had gathered in one place and was keeping them and their escape route under constant bombardment. But a little oil and a little flame could cure that right up. He aimed for the unnatural lights of their casting and let his arrow fly, praying to Elgar'nan that the arrow would strike true, hitting the ground and set them all ablaze and not one of the actual casters.

The sudden light had been answer enough. Lyra must have poured a great deal onto the ground or perhaps it was a natural reaction to some of the swamp-gasses but the flames burst furth reaching high into the night and spreading like a wildfire. It would keep the dark ones occupied.

"Fall back!" Tamlen roared, everything in camp seemed to stop. Everyone looked at him. "Move back! We will fortify ourselves by the next gate!" Everyone gave a faint nod picking up their stuff and leaving what couldn't be carried. They all ran as fast as they could up to the next gate. The gate would be wider and right next to the encampment where the sick and injured lay and was largely undefendable. Tamlen had another quick task to preform though, before he joined his men. When he passed the second broken piller on the wall he stopped, hooted as an owl and waited. A hoot replied him. Quickly he tied a rope on to the pillar and let it fall into the darkness below. The rope was taut almost immediately and not half a minute later Lyra had worked her way up the wall panting and covered in mud but no less amazing for it.

She treated him to a quick but tight hug, one he was happy to return, before she moved up the pathway to the next gate. Pulling up the rope Tamlen followed her. Only casting a quick glance backwards to see that his fears were true. The fire was dieing out, but hopefully most of their casters were dead now.

"And now what?!" shrieked one of the younger soldiers as they reached the gate and Tamlen was happy to give him a fist to his face. The boy kept quiet after that, the others stopped talking and Tamlen felt more relaxed. Excellent. "We need to block this door, maybe roll some barrels or stuff down to slow them."

"That is your plan?!" Tamlen recognized the woman, she was one of the Mothers working for the human church. He wished he could knock her down as well but it was hardly wise.

"We _need_ to buy the kings troops more time. Everyone! Help move those wagons over here and then tip them over." Tamlen waved the soldiers to work. But the Mother had other plans.

"The king's soldiers are all badly wounded, the battle is lost!"

"Move aside Mother, we _must_ buy time."

"But there are sick people in the wagons!"

Tamlen could have punched her silly just then.

"Then get them off their backs and help us push or just to lighten the weight! Now either get your people to work _Mother_ or shut up!"

The Mother looked so reasonably offended that she turned and started talking to those at the infirmary.

"And what are you all standing here for, help pushing!" Without a word the last free hands joined in to move the wagons. Those inside worked their way to safety helping each other while those too weak to move were simply left to a horrible death. There was no time or strength to help those who would be a burden to all.

Tamlen noticed that Lyra had stopped her work to waste time talking to a few of the youngest soldiers. Slightly angry he called to her though she paid him no heed, the boys nodded once and ran off towards the main camp.

"Why did you send them off?!" Tamlin hissed to her as she joined him in pushing one of the larger wagons. He didn't want others to get the same idea that they could sneak out of work.

"They were young and injured and I sent them to get help. If the kings soldiers are safe inside the walls then we could use them!" Tamlin looked anywhere but at her. She was right of cause, but that did not make him any less angry.

"Fine!" he snapped in as low a voice as he could contain himself to. "Just tell me next time!"

A few minutes later the first messenger came running back.

The darkspawn had not gotten through the barricade of tipped wagons but from the sound it would seem they were chopping through, which would only make it a matter of time, despite the number of wagons used.

"My lord! Ser elf!"

Tamlin left his spot, running to the lad who was still only catching his breath.

"They want us to evacuate, provisions, fighting soldiers" the boy wheezed "the money too, it needs to be carried to the western gate." The boy looked up the fear was clear in his face. "I think they want to try and escape ser!" No soldiers then, no victory, only survival at best. It would seem that the humans had picked a poor battle tactic after all.

* * *

Alistair blinked his eyes a few times, his head throbbed painfully. He began to take in the room, it was still lit by torches, for which he could be thankful for. The hurlocks must have left him for dead. How many people could take an ogres fist to their heads and survive? Duncan had been right, his head was the hardest part of his body. Alistair smiled weakly and listened for anything unusual. The guard room must have been left along after their initial sneak attack. He had no idea how they had gotten through the soldiers guarding the tower, much less how they could even have approached the tower to begin with.

He raised his head slightly, looking around the room. How it hurt to move! The room was indeed empty. He turned looking out to the beacon room just beyond a shattered door. The beacon room was still guarded by some hurlocks and... he felt the floor shake slightly. They had the ogre still. Wonderful it couldn't get any better.

He lay down again, trying not to attract attention, and to stop his head from spinning. How to get the beacon lit? The plan was fundamentally flawed if the beacon wasn't lit but also if lit too early. Better Loghain attacked too soon than never though. Alistair peeked outside to the beacon room and the evening sky - if it was too early, what if he had been down for hours? He closed his eyes trying to sense how many was still in the tower. Only two hurlock and the ogre – still more than a match. If raw strength couldn't win then he must be clever. His head gave another throb. Being clever was never his strong side and maybe his head resented the idea. He smiled at the idea, clearly the blow had not ruined his sense of humor.

A minute later he had come up with a plan, it wasn't perfect, far from it, but it was a plan.

He would wait till one of the hurlocks passed the door, then sneak up on it and kill it from behind. At this point the ogre and the second hurlock should have noticed him. Then run to the ledge and when the ogre charged all he had to do was spring aside and watch the ogre fall. Which left only one hurlock, which was as fair a fight as could be asked for.

Alistair moved for his sword and the sound of the scales in his armor echoed off the walls. Crap! Leather might have been the better choice when going for stealth, even if he looked and felt ridiculous, not to mention the pain in his groin from where the leather kept biting him. Alistair lay perfectly still as one of the hurlock entered the guardroom. It bent over one of the other dead, gave him a solid kick, looked at him a bit more before it shrugged and moved to the next – Alistair.

Alistair had closed his eyes, it would know he was alive right away if he had been looking. The hurlock made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a cough, and Alistair could smell the foul beast as it bent down to watch him.

Without thinking much on his carefully laid plan Alistair opened his eyes, found the target and gave it the best swing he could with his sword. The blow connected though only glancing and the hurlock gave a jump backwards. Alistair rolled over onto his belly and started to rise, waving with his sword while doing so to keep the darkspawn away – with some luck. As Alistair rose the second hurlock entered the room. Alistair could actually see the relief on the first hurlock's features as his friend entered the fight. Without thinking too much Alistair saw an opening and took it. The first hurlock that had been so relieved to see a friend died in a single stroke. Alistair had lunged for the upper torso, but as the hurlock leaned back to avoid the blow Alistair had caught it in the throat instead and with a crunchy sound it had fallen to the floor with a minor fountain of blood flowing from his neck.

The other hurlock gave a cry of rage and charged Alistair who was still dazed from both the kill as well as the blow he had taken earlier. He felt a strike hit his left arm and then nothing. The blow had not pierced the armor but Alistair couldn't quite feel it anymore, just the sort of numbness that Alistair knew was a bad sign. The hurlock started another swing, this time with both hands – if it connected then Alistair would not be able to rise again, and they both knew it.

The weight from the armor and the injuries become all too clear. There was no way Alistair could prepare a parry or attack in time. Alistair made a jump against the hurlock who abandoned the strike to get out of his way, but Alistair didn't stop as the hurlock moved, but kept running as best he could, past the hurlock and through the door. He was going to die, but at least he would warn Loghain and save the king. What awaited in the beacon room was not quite what he had expected though. The ogre had not joined the fighting and now he saw why, it was trying to throw the huge bronze bowl which served as beacon over the edge of the tower. Without giving much thought to anything, least of all to the hurlock who was running just behind him with a raised sword, Alistair charged the ogre stabbing his longsword deep into the giant beasts thigh. In anger it gave him a forceful kick knocking him into the wall with such force that he lost track of what happened next. When he came to, both hurlock and ogre was gone, but so was the beacon.

He must have dozed off, but the next thing that happened was a group of soldiers charging into the beacon room, walking to him but despite the fact that they were talking Alistair didn't hear anything, and then everything made way for the darkness.

* * *

Alistair awoke in the early hours of morning by the world seemed to shake. It took him almost a minute to realize that he was in an open wagon along with a score of other wounded. Everything hurt, everything, especially when the wagon gave a little jump due to the uneven road.

"What happened?" his throat burned as he spoke.

A young woman appeared at his side, smiling kindly at him. She looked angelic, the maker could not have created a more perfect creature.

"Shh, don't talk. You are alive, as is your friends." The girl made a sweeping motion to indicate they were right next to the wagon but despite an effort Alistair couldn't raise his head.

"You can speak to them shortly, they will be happy to know you pulled through." Again she smiled so kindly at him.

"Try to get some rest." She gave him a kiss on his forehead, a spoon of something sticky-sweet before she moved on to the next patient. Sleep claimed him again, this time it was far more pleasant though, thoughts of great glory mixed with the kind girl's smile.

It stood in stark contrast to the sight that met him when he awoke. The dwarf that had just been admitted into the Wardens stood over him only a hand away from Alistair face, his breath foul enough to wake the dead. "He's up!" The dwarf announced and a few more heads appeared near the edge of the wagon.

"How are you doing Alistair?" it was not the angel but Elissa who asked, she looked like her usual grim self.

He tried to reply but not a sound came, water did though as he was handed a skin from the dwarf.

"Thank you" Alistair took one more swig before handing it back to the dwarf. "I am fine."

Elissa gave a nod though she couldn't hide that she was worried. "One of the senior Gray Wardens asks for you to join him when you can walk." Alistair nodded though it only weakly registered.

"What happened?"

"We lost the fortress, lad" the dwarf cut in. "Loghain never charged." Such a small task and yet still he had failed. Alistair wanted to fall asleep and never wake up.

"What happened in the tower Alistair?" It was Elissa who asked again, though she sent the dwarf a glare which could turn a hotspring to ice.

"We were attacked" he said dully, the memories was only fragments and not in order. "They must have sneaked up on us, and then the ogre hit me." he stopped, his memories died out. He felt like such a fool.

"And then?" Elissa asked, her tone was kind though. There was no rush and he felt his shoulder get a light squeeze.

He tried to remember. "I awoke and did something stupid, that was all I remember" His fellow Wardens looked at each other.

"The darkspawn in the tower was dead when we came to find you, Alistair, you must have killed them." He just shook his head. Elissa and the others let the matter be.

"He must be hungry, come Duran, lets get him some lunch."

"You can bring it girly" the dwarf laughed and took another swing from his own bottle. "Get some for me while you are at it." She gave him another glance but let it be.

Alistair lay back, his head still hurting but less so now. It was all his fault, if he had not agreed to switch guard with one of the other soldiers they might have lit the beacon in time. Loghain would have charged and the fortress saved...

Things fell into place – if the fortress fell then what of Ducnan, what of the king?

"Duran?" the dwarf gave a grunt of acknowledgement.

"Is Duncan alive?" Silence. Alistair couldn't see the dwarf as he was walking next to the wagon, so he raised himself to a sitting position again.

Duran shook his head. "I am sorry lad, he didn't make it. He died to save the king, I am told." It was like a blade in his chest. Duncan had died due to Alistair's foolishness.

Duty pressed the next question. "The king?"

"He is not among the survivors. He died along with many others in the time just before we opened the First Gate." Alistair fell back, his vision was swimming and the tears were already forming. So much death!

Alistair heard himself speak, everything seemed so detached. "It is my fault."

"Nay lad." Duran's deem voice lay in the air like a warm blanket, comforting. "They died as they would have wished it." He paused for a moment before continuing. "The beacon would not have made much difference." the dwarf said at last. "If what I understand of the teyrn is true then he would have known something was wrong when the big charge came and would have acted if he thought he could win."

Alistair didn't have a response for that, there was nothing to say. It was possible that Duran was correct, but even so. He felt the wagon's movement, it hurt his body but suddenly he felt so sleepy and everything faded, faded to the nothingness of black despair.

* * *

The next day Alistair felt strong enough to walk around a bit, but that was not the only change in camp. The teyrn's men had joined the survivors, and according to gossip they had not been even close to the darkspawn. When the charge had come they had all been ordered to turn homewards back to Denerim. The King's body had also been recovered, something that seemed to weigh heavily in camp.

He had seen the Warden who had asked for him. They had talked about of future plans though none had been certain. The elder wardens were inclined to travel to Orlais and see why they brothers had been so delayed, and had asked that Alistair and the other _new_ Wardens go to visit the arl Eamon. The Wardens wanted to know why he had been delayed but also to ensure that when called for, Eamon would answer. Alistair had gotten a whole list of tasks that he and the 'other new Wardens' were suited for. What mattered now was to gather a new army and send at the darkspawn's new fortress at Ostagar. They must not be allowed a stronghold.

When they finally arrived at the West Road Alistair was more than happy to part ways with the main bulk of the army. Certain rumors were traveling that the Gray Wardens had been instrumental for the loss at Ostagar, and while many of the soldiers who had fought with the Wardens tried to quell them, it simply wasn't enough to turn the ever growing rumor.

The senior Gray Wardens who could still move had left a day ago, leaving Alistair with a sealed letter for arl Eamon, which supposedly also contained their own next assignments. Something which was accepted as a silly notion by most of their group, but never the less, it was done.

Alistair felt much better after having left the retreating army. The hygiene had been poor and so had the air, the only thing that had been worse than the hygiene had been the food, which should say quite a bit about the food. Alistair had considered tagging along to Lothering, as it might help their meager provisions, but Tamlen had assured him that he and Lyra would provide the food – which they had.

The two of them had even frayed the rabbits of their skin and had begun to prepare it for later use when Alistair voiced the question as to who would be cooking. Both Elissa and Duran had admitted that they knew next to nothing of standing on their own, having been waitered on most of their life. They were as likely to burn the rabbits to a crisp as to sever them raw – which left Alistair to burn the rabbits to a crisp since he didn't have the heart to tell the elves that his cooking skills were pretty bad as well. After the first night Lyra had volunteered to take the chore meaning that she and Tamlen had taken shifts doing the cooking from there on, in the end it all worked out quite well.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: Don't worry, the usual sidekicks will still appear, Morrigan at least, and likely quite a few others. I hope people enjoy the story – it'll be a bit long but I hope it won't feel _too_ long!

Anyway, back to the story!

* * *

It was several days after having parted with the main army and the little group had only seen a few travelers on the roads. The first days had been come and gone in a mixture of grief and worry the sheer amount of death had also taken quite a toll on the elves. They had all kept to themselves, Lyra more than most as she had taken to go wandering alone, even asking that Tamlen didn't follow – something which had been unsettling.

They had made camp in a small clearing amidst two hills where the wind didn't bother but where there was still a view of the lake Calanhad. It was a very beautiful place and the weather the last few days had been perfect for traveling.

Tamlen had taken a seat against a young pine tree, intending to think things over when Lyra had noticed him. Now she lay close to sleep with her head resting in his lap. He didn't mind, almost the opposite, but she had a way of drawing his attention from where they were supposed to be.

He wanted to think of the group and the so-called leadership which had guided them on this path towards this Arl Earmon. Ever since joining the Wardens Tamlen had been pushed around with direct orders, unlike back in the clan where everything felt more fluid...

He closed his eyes hearing only the alluring whispers of the wind and his chosen's quiet breathing. He admitted himself a smile, at the very least they were still together, still alive, though Lyra seemed changed from the person she was among the dalish.

Tamlen hoped it was due to the company or that they couldn't just do as they pleased anymore – not that they were allowed to do as they pleased back in their clan either, but there were always something to be done in the forest and Lyra had always liked those tasks.

Like hunting shems, like exploring caves... He tried to shake his head, to make the day disappear but without luck. He should have listened to her warnings, the walking dead should have been a sure sign that something was _wrong_. He had even felt it in his very core, but ignored it in his reckless attempt to impress Lyra and to bring something of worth to the Keeper.

He looked down at the head resting so in his lap. Not that she needed impressing, they had been best friends and chosen for each other since little after birth, but he always wanted to impress her somehow, and maybe she felt she had to do the same. Maybe that was why they were always just on the edge of the Keeper's leash.

Looking down on her dark hair he couldn't help but smile. He stoked her head gently and while she didn't move he was certain that she was smiling as well. He felt a faint fire spring to life inside of him. One he knew all too well. It was a shemlen influence, he was certain of it. He wanted to bond with her, and more... They had not spoken of it, of cause, but he was sure that she shared his idea that it was not a matter to be rushed, despite what his body might think of it. They would wait till it became natural and then they would bond, not a moment sooner. She moved a bit, changing her weight, to Tamlen's great dread he felt his own body move as well, and so close to her head that she would surely notice his affection. The shame, he was corrupting the pure bond they had together and the way they were positioned he could not help it.

Think of something else! Anything! He saw the mirror again. Inside it he had seen something that might have been Arlathan back in the days of glory. He would have been praised. To be able to share the knowledge with all the keepers! But it had all been a lie, a snare set up by his own impatience and the will of the Mirror. Impatience was a shemlen device and he hated the part of him that had it. The mirror had ensnared him with pretty pictures of what he wanted to see, and they all paled and the lies cracked when he had tried to look back at the girl next to him.

The mirror had it wrong, it was not Arlathan Tamlen hoped to find, it was the acknowledgement of his dearest friend. Arlathan would just have been the means to an end... He realized it for what it was, and part of him had known even back then at the mirror: It had been a desire demon.

"You are tense, what is bothering you?" He opened his eyes and saw the pained expression in her face. Her amber eyes looked into him and he had to look away, what if she saw him truly?

"It is nothing"

Her head was still his lap and he was painfully aware that his erection had not lessened in the slightest, though she at least seemed not to notice. "Tell me a story" she asked, closing her eyes.

It was her way of calming people, stories and tales. She knew most by heart and had spun several fantasies to entertain the children when she had been asked to humor them. Perhaps she had not changed so much after all, maybe she just didn't need to show that side so much anymore.

"Which would you like to hear?" he asked, which resulted in a beaming smile from the girl, one which he couldn't help but copy.

"The one of Drae'es the Bear" she said a slight laughter coloring her voice.

"There is no such tale" Tamlin replied, fairly sure that he was correct.

"Then make it up."

* * *

Alistair looked up from the campfire and noticed that Tamlen was still sitting by his tree and still with Lyra resting on his lap even after two hours. The boy still stroking her head while talking.

Alistair had begun to like the two of them more and more, if for no other reason than that they never caused any problems within the group. His eyes trailed to Elissa. They didn't do so intentionally, at least. Several days had gone and the group would with luck reach the Redcliffe Village in a day or early the next. Once there then all they had to do was meet with the arl, which would be a simple matter – not that Alistair looked particular forward to the meeting. There would be a lot of memories there and the newest had not been good.

Alistair tried to think of something else. "It will be good to enter a village won't it?" He smiled at Elissa who was idly poking the campfire with a stick.

"Indeed" she answered never taking her eyes off the flames.

"Yes, I could use a shave, a bath and a beer. I'll be as good as new in no time!"

Elissa might not have looked away from the fire but he saw a faint tug at her lips, she enjoyed it!

"Of cause they might need most of the water in the lake to get all the dirt off me, I swear, even my lice has left me for better pastures!"

There was no mistaking it, she was able to smile.

"I knew you'd come around!" He said, as proud as if he had won the heart of the fairest lady in the land.

"Alistair,.." her tone dismissive. With a sigh she continued. "What would you do if you were the last of a bloodline?" She looked up at him, eyes red. She was going to cry and he had never been good at dealing with it.

"I suppose I would want the line to continue." He ventured, it seems like the safest bet.

"So would I" she buried her face in her arms.

"You didn't find your brother then?" She had spend the time with the army convoy seeking news of her brother, or anything about their task. Judging from Elissa, she couldn't have found much news, or if she had then it had been the worst.

"No one knew, no one knew anything! It's just..." she she wiped her eyes in a sleeve but didn't look back up at him. "He was supposed to be there, I came to warn him! Duncan saved my father and helped me escape – he asked father to let me join the Wardens and I agreed... But I did so to help Fergus, what do I have left now?" Her voice carried an angry and bitter undertone but most of it was pure grief. Alistair had lost a family in Duncan's death, but this girl had lost her world. There was no comforting scenarios, other than one...

"He may still be alive." Alistair wanted to give her a hug, give her a hearty slap on the shoulder or let her cry it out on his, if needed – but she was royal, not to mention a woman.

She curled up tighter, her legs against her chest and her head buried deep in her arms. "You also have us, Elissa. We will all help the best we can." He knew that was a half lie, but he would certainly do everything in his power to aid her – as long as the darkspawn was defeated first.

A silence descended upon them, one that Alistair wished he could break, to somehow cheer her up, but nothing came to mind and soon she calmed down.

"Forgive me Alistair, I, I didn't mean to..." she shook her head briskly. "I didn't mean to burden you with my problems."

"It is fine" he soothed, attempting his kindest tone.

She returned to stare at the fire, it was like it had never happened.

"I like to think that we can be a shoulder for each other, we are all Wardens after all." the last bit was added in somewhat panic, he realized that she might have seen it like he was trying to get familiar with her.

She gave a smile, a true unforced one this time. "I would like that"

Alistair panicked, this was a vulnerable woman he was talking with, racked with grief but this was also the closed thing he had gotten to actual flirting. "Care for some deer stew?" Alistair offered, hoping to change the subject, as he took the pot off the fire.

"No thank you" she looked tired now, but better, more at ease, than she had before.

"Are you sure?" Alistair took a healthy portion of the deermeat and some of the other mushy stuff Lyra had added into the pot for flavor. It tasted a bit like dirt but the good kind, but with a very good aftertaste. "Its quite good!" he commented, still chewing.

Elissa gave the pot a glance before she gave in. "Fine, give me a small portion." She held out her plate as Alistair pured her a large portion, though she didn't complain.

"The funny thing is, I never had this appetite before I joined the Wardens. I hardly ate at all back when I trained to be Templar."

"You were a templar?" she asked after having finished her mouthful of deer.

He swallowed a particularly bitter root and made a face. "Yes"

"How did you become a Gray Warden then?"

"To my luck, Duncan came along, saw that I was unhappy and asked me to join his order." Which had been a wonderful day, he had never been so happy to leave as back then.

She offered comforting smile, which helped. "Duncan was a fine man, it was easy to see that he thought kindly of you."

He bowed his head, the grief was returning and so was the feelings of guilt. "He – He was a fine man, like a father to me. Something I would never be able to repay."

"Love is not something you need to repay in such a way, I am sure he knew what he meant to you." Alistair could only nod to that remark, Duncan had known but it didn't make the guilt any less.

Thankfully the dwarf appeared with more firewood, promptly ending the storytelling, which Alistair was only happy for. He did not mind sharing his past, but he needed to make amends first. Put Duncan to rest, and in his own time, perhaps much like the young lady did with her shattered life.

* * *

As they passed the last hill they could see most of the village and the looming Redcliffe Castle placed on a steep hill. The hill itself looked to have sprung directly out of the waters of the lake, just beyond the village. It was home, though more quiet than he could remember. The noise had always been one of the things he liked about the village, when he was in the castle he was never allowed to play or make too much noise, but no one cared in the village.

"Let us find a room at the inn, resupply, wash up and then make an appointment with the arl Eamon."

"Why not just meet with Eamon and hand him the letter?" Tamlen asked, he looked about as merry as a drowned rat.

"Alistair is right, Tamlen, we should at least be somewhat presentable when meeting with him, and I for one could use a _real_ bath!"

Duran nodded to Elissa's comment. "Aye, it is settled, to the tavern!"

Alistair chuckled, what a fine bunch they were.

As the group got closer the feeling of wrongness grew, Tamlen had even prepared his bow seeming certain that something bad was underway. A sentiment Alistair shared, he himself had a firm grip on the sword at his hip.

"Are you here to help us?" squeaked a voice, a child's voice. Tamlen had already an arrow directed at the trunk of the tree where the voice had come from.

"Come out!" the elf ordered before Alistair could even think how to act. The kid moved out from behind the tree, looking very frightened.

"Oh don't be so hard Tamlen!" Scolded Elissa and stepped in front of the elf. "Hello there" she gave him a bright smile.

"Are you here to help us?" the kid repeated, looking no less frightened than he had when Tamlen had an arrow aimed at his forehead.

"We might be, what is your name?" Elissa coerced, motioning the kid forward.

"I'm Tomas" he took a step back.

"Hello Tomas, what is it you need help with?" Elissa took a step forward, and the kid took one backward – intend at keeping the distance between them.

"Bad things come at night, I know I wasn't supposed to see them but I did and now the mother is angry with me!"

It made sense, if the arl Eamon had been under attack from darkspawn he might have kept the army here to defend, but then why hadn't they seen any sign of an army then? - Or darkspawn for that matter.

"We will help if we can" Alistair replied, the kid looked much relieved. "Can you take us to the arl?"

The kid looked from Alistair to Elissa and back. "Arl is sick but bann Teagan is giving orders. He is in town!" He pointed towards the chantry.

"We will see him then, care to lead the way kid?" Tomas gave a quick nod, looked back to Elissa, gave her and the elves a wide berth before he jumped onto the road and ran down the hill, the group of Wardens following him.

When the group finally arrived at the chantry Alistair was panting and sweating like a pig. Armor was not for running! Elissa's chain and Duran's scalemail had left both in much the same state though both hid it better than he. Only the elves seemed to have managed the run with some decency, their breath hardly quickened. Of cause they carried far less in their backpacks as well! Alistair carried some leather armor, some changing clothes, while the elves only carried... well he wasn't sure really. He had not seen them in anything other than their leather armor, not even when they went to bed.

"Tomas! Where have you been?! The Revered Mother has been so worried that you might have run off! Don't you _ever_ do that again you hear!"

"Yes mother" the boy mumbled, nimbly avoiding his mother and entered the chantry.

"I am sorry, I -" the broad woman that was his mother started when the doors to the chantry opened and the bann walked out.

"Welcome, we could use some aid. I am..." The bann trailed off, his eyes locked with Alistair's. "Alistair?"

"No, Alistair is my name, Taegan" He could hardly contain his smile. Taegan had acted much like a brother to him back when Alistair lived with the arl, a brother who always had treats with him...

Taegan smiled too. "Some things never change, but I am glad you are back my friend! The arl is in danger and so are we"

"The darkspawn?" Alistair asked already bracing himself against it. He would get rid of the darkspawn threat, for the arl and for Duncan.

"No, though it may be related, I don't know. It started three days ago when the first rider came from Ostagar, telling us that the battle was lost and the king dead. Later that day Earmon fell ill though the healer could do nothing. It got worse yesterday evening when we heard inhuman screams from the castle..."

Teagan took a deep breath, steeling himself. "The dead attacked our village last night, killing four families. It was only three undead attacking then, wearing the same armor that the guards use in the castle." Alistair could see where this was going.

"They were recently dead too, the skin still whole but their skin was cold even before we killed them off! Alistair, there is half a hundred guards in the castle, at least, and that is when most of the guards are needed elsewhere."

The bann let the news sink in. There might be a raid this evening, and it could easily be ten times the size of the former. Against fifty men, dead or otherwise, the odds were bad particularly if it was to take place in the night time.

"We should make a sneak attack, now, before they enemy is ready." It had been Alistair's thought too but it had been Elissa who proposed it.

"Miss, for all we know they could be ready now."

"I am daughter of the late teyrn Cousland, and if this enemy was ready then it would have attacked – if it intends to!"

"Pardon, my lady, but even so, we do not wish to provoke them. What if the last nights attack was a warning?"

"Ye'd prefer to wait then? Let them slaughter the villagers so avoid hurting they'r feelings? Phaw!"

"Duran!" Alistair scolded. "The idea is the best we can hope for Teagan. We should stop the problem at it's core."

Teagan however just shook his head in resignation. "I cannot believe that you would just leave these people to die!"

"They are no worse off then before we came!" argued Elissa.

"Unless you only stir up the nest and we are left to deal with it!"

"What would you have us do then? _Just _wait? Nothing was ever solved by _just_ accept a beating bann Teagan. As a man in your position should know."

The bann bowed his head. "I know, my lady, but several was injured yesterday and we do not even have any armor or weapons to defend ourselves with, should the worst come. The mayer has tried to convince Owen, the local smith, to give us his stock but Owen has locked himself up inside the smithy refusing to talk to anyone."

"I will talk to this Owen, meanwhile bann Teagan, you should consider if you don't think our idea has merit. Now where is the smithy?!"


	5. Chapter 5

Author note: Some nudity and suggestive rape in the later part of this chapter, you have been warned!

* * *

After a few hours of preparation the small group of Wardens finally got the bann convinced. They had gotten part of the city in an uproar ever since they began to order some of the wooden houses by the docks torn down to make the village something resembling a wall. Every way into the main square had been cut off save for one, which now held many easily defendable positions. The trick was that killing these creatures would be difficult – swords had little effect unless they could take off body parts and arrows would have no effect at all unless you were actually able to hit a piece of bone which was moving and at a distance. Despite Tamlen's best efforts Lyra had put her mind to going, though her bow and daggers would be of little actual help. She would _think of something_.

Elissa had picked up a mace from the smithy as had Alistair though neither of them liked not using a sword. Duran had stuck with his two handed axe, claiming that it would kill anything living or otherwise, which had silenced all objections.

The village had in half a day been turned into a little well-run fortress. No one seemed particularly pleased with it but they all saw the need for security.

Only as the Wardens had started to plan how they would actually sneak into the castle had the bann shared the secret of a passageway – leading from a mill down several ladders, under the lake and finally up into a small storage room in the prison. The tunnel had been well made, but the thought that a lake rested on top of her head was an unpleasant one. Elissa moved hunchbacked being slightly too tall for the otherwise well-made tunnel. Alistair had even bigger problems due to his hight while Duran and the elves just trotted along somewhere behind her, without doubt happy as they could be.

She pulled up in her belt for what felt like the hundredth time, her sword had just the right weight not to be uncomfortable, but this mace kept dragging her belt painfully down.

"Do you see anything yet?" she asked Alistair who had volunteered to go first as it was _his lantern_. Something she had thought stupid when he said it but now she certainly wasn't complaining. Save for his lantern and a light-globe, which Lyra had _found_ in a market in some human city, they had no light sources and despite the wonderful work that must have gone into it's making, the light-globe was fading quickly. Only Alistair's lantern gave sufficient light and she, as well as those walking behind her, had often stumbled on the relative uneven floor.

"I asked; do you see anything?" she asked again, this time with a bit of a bite to it. She had not intended it but the darkness, the close quarters and the knowledge that tons of water could roar down upon her any second made her uneasy.

"No! I s_till_ don't see anything" he snapped back.

They walked half a minute in silence before Duran broke it. "It is pretty shoddy craftsmanship really. Ye'd think the tunnel would collapse any day"

"It is much better than trying to jump over the walls to the castle" commented Alistair dryly.

"Aye, 'just saying a dwarf would never have built it this way!"

"They might have made it this hight though!"

"ha! Ye have not seen Orzammar"

Elissa felt her temper flare but let it fade. The rest of them didn't like the place any more than she.

"I think I see something" Alistair commented, not long after. The floor had begun to go upwards slightly. "It is a wall – who's got the ring?"

Elissa removed the bann's signetring from her beltpouch. "I do" The ring was needed to unlock the secret door.

The prison cells were as dark as a tomb, and if the tunnel had been unnerving then this was worse.

All around were moans of starving prisoners and though Elissa felt compelled to aid them she could understand Duran when he spoke against it. They would die from one of these undead as surely as from starvation or lack of water, not to mention that they might attract much unwanted attention.

"You there, you are human?" Something about him caught Elissa's attention. Not only was he not screaming to be let out, but he also wore a very fine robe – despite his many injuries, the man must have been brutally beaten.

"We are, what happened to you?" She moved closer to the cell trying to get a better look in the dark.

"I was tutoring Conner, the arl's child... when one day the arlessa came to me accusing me of poisoning her husband! I was thrown in the cell when I denied it. Afterwards she had me beaten and tortured, no matter what I said, no matter how I pleaded, she didn't release me."

Elissa felt a strong sympathy for the man, how he must have suffered.

"Elissa, are you coming?" it was Duran asking, with a tone that implied an urgency.

The man in the cell fell back against the wall, seeming too tired to fight his fate.

"I will return for you when it is safe." she whispered, before walking as quickly as she could to the party who had moved ahead of her, albeit slowly.

Despite the foul smell in the prison the next rooms were even worse. They had been garrison for the soldiers and guards, but now it looked more like a feeding pen. The blood had dried but it was everywhere, the floor the walls, even some spots in the roof, despite the roof having a decent hight.

A few half-eaten humans still lay in their beds, dead, or at least Elissa hoped it was the case, and that it wasn't an undead sleeping.

"What do we do from here?" Tamlen asked, holding a piece of rabbit pelt tightly over his mouth and nose.

"We are in the garrison, the only way to get to the Residence would be through the courtyard. I think we should at least try and see if there was any survivors." A round of nods, they opened the courtyard half expecting it to be littered with the corpses of guards though thankfully that was not the case, not even one of the walking dead was present.

"Clean air!" Lyra took a deep breath. Something Elissa took some pleasure in as well while pocketing her, for the occasion, strongly scented handkerchief. A horrible stench of roses was still preferred to that of dead corpses, but only just.

"I wonder why we haven't seen any of these 'undead' you don't suppose the townsfolk made it up?"

"I have seen walking dead before Elissa, and I don't think they have any reason to lie." Tamlen countered.

She nodded, indeed there was little reason for them to lie. "I just expected that we would have found some of them by now."

Alistair looked instantly worried. "Could they have attacked the town?"

A 'maybe' was forming in Elissa's mouth but Tamlen spoke first.

"The gate is down" he waved in the direction of the portcullis which was indeed still firmly planted against the ground.

"We should get moving while it is still light" It was agreed and they moved to the heavy double-door which lead to the residence.

I had been a joke of the Maker, surely. Inside stood all the missing undead, some eating from a corpse, one eating from another of the undead – the undead who was getting eaten made small gurgling sounds as it happened. Several others lay as they were dead, with the slight exception that their feet were all still moving like a pendulum in motion. A few of them had even begun to beat on what may have been a fellow undead though whatever life it may have had was long since gone.

The stench was as only mutilated corpses could make.

"Maker preserve us..." Alistair voiced before he got ready for battle, which sparked the rest of the group to get the weapons ready.

"Fight them in the sunlight! Might even the odds a bit." Duran called, as he started moving back further into the courtyard. The other Wardens following suit keeping their front to the undead horde who was starting to notice the intrusion. When the dead finally charged it was not the onslaught that Elissa had expected, they simply rose from whatever they were doing and started walking, though in good pace, towards their small group. It might not have been a frightening sight but it sure was creepy.

Elissa had hoped that as the undead would enter the sunlight that they would simply crumple to dust or something similar permanent, but she was disappointed. The light did have an effect, they didn't seem to care for it overly – not the light itself but perhaps how it forced more color to the world or maybe it had something to do with the magic sustaining the dead corpses. Elissa didn't get to ponder the question overly long as the first corpse was charging her, if you could call it that. With a slight gait the walking corpse threw itself at her shield. Clawing, screaming, biting, at whatever was in range. A hit from her mace bashed most of its face out of order, tearing out one eye while the cranium made a horrible _crack_ sound. The monster kept at it though, hardly even noting that it should have been more than dead now.

Another of her swings connected, this time at the at the chest. To her horror her mace almost went strait through it only to hit some bone in the midst of the rotted flesh. Elissa made a jump backwards pulling her mace out of the creatures ribcage. Something splattered on her face but there was hardly time, the first undead thing was slowing signs of dieing but two more was almost ready to circle her.

"Little help!" She yelled casting a quick look to see Alistair fighting with three as well though two already lay unmoving on the ground. She returned to the not-quite dead corpse in front of her and gave it a hard swing, hitting it in the lower back. Something snapped, and the corpse didn't more again. A hand, almost a claw, tore at her right shoulder, forcing her to take a step back, giving a wild swing with the mace though it didn't hit anything.

What happened next seemed happened so quickly that Elissa missed the act itself, but a glance backwards told the story. Lyra had vanished almost as the fight began though Elissa had not thought more about it, but now the darkhaired elven girl was reloading one of the walls two ballista, a huge crossbow like weapon mounted on the wall walk.

Elissa didn't linger on it and pressed their advantage. Those who had been struck by the spear was still partly moving though they seemed almost dead – in the real sense of the word.

Moving out of the way so Lyra would have a better shot, Elissa ran with shield first into two of the undead, these were more like skeletons with a bit of clinging flesh than the others had been and as such seemed quite a bit easier to kill. A single swing snapping their spinal cord was enough. She gave Alistair a glance, he was doing poorly and she herself seemed to have been spared most of her attackers. Entering the fight behind the undeads' lines worked great, the ones attacking Alistair had been the more meaty kind, the ones still punching hard and took quite a lot to kill, but since Elissa could focus on doing damage they fell a bit easier. In the background she heard another '_twang_' – Lyra's ballista – followed by Duran's shout though over the piercing noise the undead were making she couldn't make it out.

The battle ended not long after, the tide had turned when Lyra had gotten the ballista to work, which had shook the undead. Those who didn't flee had been crushed by mace and axe. Tamlen had been the only one truly injured though Alistair would be feeling it tomorrow as well.

"If we want to take a look inside then it should be done now, though Tamlen will be even worse if we don't get him to a healer." Alistair looked torn, not truly wishing to go and not wishing to stay.

The answer would be a combination, if they didn't continue then the undead might truly begin gathering their troops, assuming they hadn't killed most off just then. "Lyra, take Tamlen to the city and then return if you can." Lyra had looked up from Tamlen's arm which was bleeding heavily and the armor on his leg had been torn up and was covered in blood as well. They all were though, so it was hard to tell if it was serious or not by that alone. After wiping the worst blood and gore from their faces and having a short rest the three of them continued, leaving the elves to leave through the main gate. The house was far from empty, but the groups of undead they encountered was much smaller than they had been at the main hall, allowing flank attacks. It became more and more apparent that the undead, while still quite clever didn't know the first thing about combat and in some cases not much else. One of the undead bastards had been fighting and fleeing ever since the first battle though and he was becoming better and better, nimbly avoiding their swords while he himself had begun to use one of the old guards' sword. The _thing_ had even attempted an ambush ones, though with little luck.

* * *

"What now Alistair, you are the only one who knows this place?" Duran asked when they took a small rest in the dinning room. A vast place with a chandelier resting high above the long table.

"We should try the audience halls, perhaps, from there we can enter the study and then there is a secret route to the arl's bed chamber." Elissa nodded, too tired to think more on it. Nothing in her many years of combat training could have prepared her for the exhausting work this was.

"Lets just go to it then" she sighed getting up from the chair. Though the chair had not been touched by the undead it was now covered in blood and some white-purple mush which Elissa wouldn't want to know what was nor how she had gotten it on herself.

The audience hall seemed to be the sanctuary of the castle's few survivors, though there was no locks or closed doors.

"Teagan?" cried a quite beautiful woman hopefully, carrying a slight orlesian accent, as they entered the room. Though the sight of them changed her tone significantly, more to dread than anything. "How did you get here? Where is Teagan?"

"Teagan is in the village, and we fought our way thought." Alistair replied, his tone as cold and hard as Elissa had ever heard it.

"Alistair?" she looked away in a brisk motion, her own voice taking on a barely confined coldness. "Is it safe for these people to leave?"

"There is still some of those things hiding" provided Elissa, "but I would think it safe if you run."

The woman swallowed a lump. "It may be the only chance" She bowed her head as she faced the survivors of the keep, there were about 20, most of them servants and a few guards. "I am sorry for what happened here, but please, save yourselves." Two of the elven servants needed no more encouraging and made a run for it the rest of them following shortly behind, guards and all.

"You would be the arlessa?" Elissa asked, politely, to the woman who hadn't moved when the rest ran.

"I am arlessa Isolde" she sighed. "I had hoped bann Teagan had come with you, not that I mean to sound ungrateful."

Alistair had already moved to a door at the back of the room, undoubtedly leading to the study. "We should get moving."

"Alistair!" Elissa scolded, even if the two of them did not get along, as everything indicated, the arlessa still had a certain rank and most likely knew more of the problem. "What happened here, my lady?"

"The arl was poisoned, just the same day as we heard news of the the loss at Ostagar. It was that _mage_" she almost spit the word like it was a curse. "He poisoned the arl and turned my Conner into..." She broke off, undoubtedly fighting against the grief. Not a single tear formed and she continued. "Conner is, changed I don't know how but he is no longer himself. He kills and... He is no longer my little Conner."

Even Alistair was moved to a degree of sympathy.

"How come ye and the other didn't get killed then?" Duran seemed to be the only one still unaffected by her grief.

"He is still Conner, he listened when I begged to spare them, but" she shook her head. Elissa could guess what she was going to say. Conner might have listened but he still ordered the attack on the village.

"Why did you expect bann Teagan, my lady?" Elissa asked, recalling the arlessa's hopes earlier.

"Conner always liked bann Teagan, he would always find time to dote on Conner. When... when we learned that the arl was poisoned, Teagan left to see the Knights off on their quest, and didn't come back. Then Conner started changing and then the dead..."

More strange coincidences. "What do we do now?"

"What do ye mean?"

"Well, maybe the mage could shed some light on all this..."

The arlessa scoffed. "He is a lier! He poisoned my husband!"

"My lady, what is the alternative, if we seek Conner and he attacks we will defend ourselves."

"No!" Isolde looked immensely frightened for her child's safety – considering that he had turned half the castle's occupants into undead Elissa was more worried about how their group would fare against the child. "There must be another way! There _must_!"

"What then, my lady? We cannot let the child be. What if was he who poisoned your husband?"

"It can't have been, Conner is very protective of the arl. Even I have not been allowed entry, only our healer have been allowed..."

"If we just came to speak, would Conner then attack us?" Alistair asked.

The arlessa shook her head. "I do not believe so, unless you approached Earmon's quarters."

"Where is Conner now?"

"He usually sits just outside the bedroom, but I..." She looked away from Alistair. "I know I have not been kind to you, but please spare my child. He has done nothing wrong." She looked up sharply, finding Elissa. "Maybe if the mage died, would the spell be lifted?"

The group exchanged glances. It was possible, though none of them had any way of knowing one way or another, save perhaps Alistair.

"We will speak to Conner first, maybe we can understand the whole thing afterwards."

The arlessa looked doubtful at Alistair but she resigned to his comment. Perhaps thinking that she had no right over their judgment.

* * *

They found Conner where the arlessa had said, sitting by himself on the floor just outside the arl's room. Inside they could see the arl lying in bed with an old woman sitting on a chair nearby.

Conner was rocking lightly back and forth, his eyes closed almost if asleep. He could not be very old, 12 maybe 14 maybe but there was a childish way about him.

The floorboard creeked as they got through the top of the stairs and Conner met her eyes for a brief moment. His eyes didn't seem like those of a child his age.

"More playthings my pet, and so filthy! Why have they come you think?" The words seemed strange, not quite fitting with the boys voice.

"Conner?" Alistair asked, though somewhat doubtful.

"Who else?" The boy laughed, rising form the floor in a fluid motion with a grace that not even a cat could have managed. "Why do you come here, disturbing me?"

"We would like to speak to the arl"

"Ha! You are not the first. The woman downstairs wants to see the arl too, so would everyone! The arl is dying, draining away from the poison in his blood. Not even a bloodmage can cure him."

"A blood mage?" asked Elissa, not quite believing what she head. "You had a blood mage visit him? To cure him?!"

The boy dignified her with a glare. The eyes were still unnerving. "The blood mage made excuses, he was hardly a true practitioner! Now the healer, she helps, stops the dieing with the aid of a little magic from my side."

The boy took a step closer to the group who remained where they were.

"You do not fear me? I _am_ pleased. Fear is hardly a way to establish a deeper connection."

"You are a desire demon, aren't you?" Alistair asked, not moving in the least.

"And so it wishes to guess, pet? Just like you, always _guessing_!" she said the last with a sneer.

"It was no guess" Alistair commented, not breaking eye contact with the boy. "I was phrasing it as such out of politeness."

"Is that so..." The boy smiled wide, taking another step towards the group. Alistair remained fixed to the spot while Duran got his axe ready, Elissa gave her mace a squeeze for good measure.

"Why do you do this? Why Conner?"

Conner tilted his head, giving Alistair a measuring look. Everything about the whole thing seemed wrong, perhaps it was _just_ the possession but maybe the demon was all around. Elissa felt a tingle all over, even more so as the creature came closer.

"Why?" Conner gave a hollow laugh. "_Why not?_ I was all but summoned after all. This _poor_ boy tore the veil apart, all his desires were calling to me and my like. He wanted his father to live, to be a great _hero_, he desired, and I came!" Conner laughed like it had been a joke. He gave his own hair a stroke, leaning into the hand in a enjoying the feeling.

"Would you leave, peacefully?" Alistair asked, still not moving from his spot.

"Would you leave the most fun you ever had?" The boy smiled "I think not. Even killing the boy will leave no harm on me. I gain little from leaving such a sweet kid. Such a lustful kid."

Alistair turned, looking each of the Wardens in the eyes. As he looked into Elissa's she should see that he wanted an input, she shook her head. The boy was not yet lost, though she couldn't see how he may be saved.

"Will you let us speak with Conner?" Elissa asked, in her kindest voice she could muster. "The _real_ Conner."

Conner tapped his lip thoughtfully. "Very well human, I shall grant you that, only because it will be _entertaining_. I shall of cause be listening in on your little chat."

The transformation happened quicker than Elissa would have thought, there were no dramatics, no true change to the boys features, no nothing, but a lost and confused child.

"Who are you?" the boy asked, Conner, the true one.

"My name is Elissa, do you know why we are here Conner?"

"I can guess," the boy frowned bowing his head. "I didn't know. I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt anyone!"

"shh, it is alright Conner" Elissa soothed. "Do you know why this happened?"

"I... I tried a spell, it said that if used right you could make a powerful being come and aid one gravely wounded. I... I just wanted father to be all right."

"We know Conner, we want him to get better as well" - but how to get something we can use from the boy?

"Where did you learn of the spell Conner? From the mage your mother mentioned?"

Conner shook his head. "From a spellbook, I don't know where it is now but I used it in the study."

Elissa looked at her friends, Duran nodded and headed down the stairs.

"Think Conner, is there something else that we should know, something we would have missed?"

Conner's head jerked one way and another. "Her name,... She won't tell me... It holds power..."

Conner stopped twitching, and started to rub himself behind his ear. "So unfair, asking the poor creature such nasty questions!"

"You won't share your name?" Elissa asked, slightly surprised. She had never heard of names ever being secret.

"Why give such valuable knowledge away? A name, a _true_ name is a thing of power. No one would ever give such a treasure away."

"Is that what you meant earlier when you said that he was always guessing?" Alistair asked, seeming much more confident again.

"Perceptive, though it will not aid you! Even should you know it none of you have power to use it against me. Leave me, you have had your fun, you shall leave me to mine." With that Conner moved towards a room next to the arls, perhaps his own room, while he undressed, throwing vest and shirt in every direction. Within the room a woman had been tied to the bed, and to Elissa's dread, the girl was naked.

"We got to do something!" she hissed to Alistair who gave a nod and followed Conner in, Elissa following close behind.

"You care to join me?" Conner asked with a laugh. "I doubt it, don't you my pet? Oh yes..." Conner finally let his pants slide and Elissa instinctively looked away.

"What would a mortal do now, I wonder?" Conner tilted his head stroking his hair yet again. "Kill me to do the _right thing?_ Maybe you dare not, my body is precious to the arl after all, and I am what keeps him alive. Maybe you will just slay the girl then?"

Conner gave the girl's leg a fond stroke.

"Forgive me, Eamon" Alistair said, a voice so low that Elissa could only barely hear it. She felt a small tug at something in her mind, a small movement in the shadow dancers she had seen back in Ostagar.

With a movement faster than she could follow Alistair grabbed his mace and struck out against the naked boy.

It was as if time itself froze. "So it _would_ strike at me! You were right my pet, such _emotional _creatures these are" Conner laughed, as had it been his own joke. Alistair, it seemed, had frozen in place.

"And you, you are like this one here are you not?" Conner motioned at the girl who had been bound and gagged. "_Female! _Does this mean you will strike her down then? More sensible than your friend?"

"You disgust me!" Elissa could not contain it, and indeed if they were to die then she might as well give the demon her piece. "You play with lives like it was a game, there is not even anything at stake for you! We risk our lives and you just think it is a game?!"

Conner seemed less amused, more serious even. "It is how I live." he shrugged. "I wish to see your world and so this is how I do it. The only way I can keep my host alive is by letting him keep his mind – to that end I am willing to grant him these _favors_."

Elissa was taken aback. "Favors?! Conner wouldn't want this!"

The boy laughed merrily. "If you bothered looking you would find that he do, I think" Conner gave a little sway of the hips.

"Conner would not ask his father to be kept alive in constant death, he wouldn't ask to gain glory by sending soldiers – _dead_ soldiers – to slaughter a nearby village who can't defend themselves!"

Conner looked thoughtful, again tapping his lips with a finger. "Maybe you are right, but even so, what does that say? He would likely still do all these things I do. Take a woman to his bed, get innocents killed in his name? I have listened to the desires of many in my time. There is never simple glory! There is never easy love! There is no miracle cure to revive the dead!" the boy growled, almost like the demon felt cheated.

"How do you know that for sure?" Asked Elissa eyeing a chance to make things right against the odds.

"I found the boo-" It was Duran's voice.

No! Bad timing! Elissa didn't get to think any more about it when everything went dark, only to brighten a few seconds after. Elissa looked back at Duran still standing in the doorway completely covered by a layer of stone.

"He is not dead." Conner assured her, perhaps he even sounded a bit sad.

"How do you know there isn't such things?" Elissa asked again. She had to trust the demon to some extent, it could have killed them all many times over if it really wished it.

"Whenever I glance into this world of yours, so brim with life, the view is always the same! Some mageling thinking they can make a name for themselves with my powers, some warlord demanding aid. Some helpless moron who does not have the courage to even take a woman for himself!" Conner shook his head. "It is all the same"

"You don't like this then?" Elissa asked, praying her idea was right.

"It is life, if I want to live in your realm then I want it to be a real life."

Elissa shook her head. "This isn't real. Perhaps a warlord _may_ wish for death and a mage for power, but this is a boy – full with childish fancies. No one lives as they would like to – which is something we can all be grateful for!"

Conner stroked the woman's leg again, and then his hair again leaning into it, slightly closing his eyes. "I think, woman, that you have won your case – for the time being! I will let this one live a bit, perhaps visit once in a while to see what he makes of your so-called _life_. It shall prove entertaining and perhaps I will see another side to this life, perhaps not."

Conner bend down, taking a knife from somewhere below the bed. Elissa was about to stop him when she noticed her legs wouldn't move. With a few quick strokes the bonds holding the girl on the bed was cut, though she did not move either. Nothing in the room did, save for a possessed naked boy with a knife.

"Tell the male he was wrong then" Conner said with a smile as he sheathed the knife again and gently lay it back below the bed. "I am no desire demon, though what people ask of me is certainly mostly something they desire, always for they own pleasure. Conner gave a small stroke on his hair before the boy collapsed on the floor. Almost half a minute passed before the spell holding them all faded. Alistair cut nothing but air – thankfully – Duran's stone prison faded to nothing. The girl started crying while gathering the sheets around her.

Elissa, she just stood there. Contemplating what had just passed.


	6. Chapter 6

Conner's life had been spared.

Alistair and Duran had asked questions; just what had happened? why would the demon leave without a fuss? Elissa had been in no condition to speak of it, it didn't seem right for some reason.

They had left the arlessa to clear things out between Conner and the girl and had proceeded to clear the castle of what few undead that remained. It was tiring work, and while Duran and Alistair seemed more than eager to deal death, Elissa just felt drained. She wanted nothing more than to find a bed and sleep for days.

As they cleared the house Elissa had thought of the spirit which has possessed Conner. Elissa was of cause happy that the boy had been spared, though having raped a young girl – unwilling or not – had removed all sympathy for him. The spirit was much the same. Was it truly a demon, or had everything it said been true? Elissa was unsure and the promise that the spirit would look in on Conner had complicated things even more. What if the same problem happened in a year, or ten? If Conner was a mage the spirit might become even more powerful – having captured their group without much effort meant that if it grew stronger then very little might be able to stop it.

And what if the spirit had been telling the truth, what if it was simply a being forced into service? Was that how mages got their power? Enslaving spirits of the fade? Was demons simply a product of vengeful spirits, who had every right to be angry? Elissa hoped not, but she could not leave it at that, she should not! Surely as daughter of one of the most powerful people, in addition being a Gray Warden, meant that she should know these things, have an opinion. If the Circle was truly basing all their power on enslavement then she had very little sympathy for any of them.

Elissa recalled her comment to the prisoner, a mage surely, back in the dungeon. To return when it was safe... She shook her head. She suddenly didn't feel like it.

The three of them left the castle to the arlessa and the healer, agreeing to give word to Teagan and the town. They had been offered rooms, but having seen how befouled the castle was by all the death they had politely declined, instead agreeing to see the arlessa before they left town.

As they entered the village it became clear that an undead attack had indeed taken place, about ten had been killed and many more injured. They found Tamlen in the chantry along with a number of other wounded, his bleeding had stopped but his wounded leg had turned almost black from the hip down. The local healer had attended his wounds but only a mage could do more. Lyra had just returned to the castle as the servants had been running to the village - followed by a few undead – which she and the soldiers had fought. A few of the soldiers had been badly wounded though and she had helped them return back to the village. To her shame, Elissa had not spared the elven girl a thought since they had parted, though she was glad that the girl was safe.

* * *

They had gotten a room at The Sleepy Goose, an inn which had been happy to provide them with room and food, despite that they had 'lured' the undead to attack, as some townsfolk thought it. They had even been taken a warm bath and Alistair had taken the liberty to shave while they were doing this personal hygiene thing. His armor still smelled like he couldn't believe, he had almost forgotten to notice it before, but fresh out of a bath it had been all too clear. It had been left outside on a small terrace, along with the group's weapons and the others' armor. It had been the first time he had seen Lyra or Tamlen in anything other than armor, which had been a strange site. The only clothing they had taken with them seemed to be far too big for their otherwise small frames though he had not thought more of it as hunger had called. Both Lyra and Tamlen had chosen to take their dinner in one of their rooms leaving Elissa, Duran and Alistair to eat down in the common room. Duran had left strait for the bar though, eating and drinking there while Alistair and Elissa had taken a table in a corner, away from the eyes of the local folk.

"Please!" Alistair begged once again after he had finished his meal, hoping to convince the headstrong girl to tell him what happened in Conner's room.

"No." she said simply, pushing the remainder of her food around on the plate.

"At least tell me what happened to the demon."

"It said it would leave" Elissa sighed pushing her plate away. "and you saw Conner..."

"And you believed it?" Alistair asked feeling his worry grow. Demons didn't leave, but they might have moved to another host and he dreaded what might have happened back then.

"I did, and I still do" she replied, resigning, not putting up more of a fight.

"Demons lie you know!"

"It could also have killed us all, but it didn't! Think back, did it seem like it was lying to you?"

He had thought back, it did not strike him as a lying type – but this was a demon, it might have been lying through it's teeth from all he knew. "No, but that doesn't prove anything in the least."

"Nothing is ever certain, Alistair" she remarked, an eerie glimmer of recognition sparking in his mind. She was starting to talk like a demon! "Enough with your glares Alistair! I am going to bed, _goodnight_!" she snapped with such a bite that he would be surprised if she didn't slam the door to her room.

Elissa did not understand the real problem, or maybe the demon had already possessed her, but without more knowledge how could he be certain? Striking down a child was horrible – striking down a Gray Warden was... unthinkable. He had acted rash in Conner's case and was determined to learn from it. He would resign to observe Elissa, perhaps speak with someone at the Circle or the Chantry about such things.

It was stupid, he was stupid, she was stupid and the world was most certainly stupid. Why did nothing ever turn out to be as simple as whacking a mace into someone's guts enough times?

Alistair took a few coins from his purse and left them on the table. Coin was another problem, he was paying for the food and lodgings but what little he had was soon going to be spend and he had no idea what to do when they ran up. Duncan would have known, but as a new Gray Warden he had always turned to Duncan if he needed advice or money. The Wardens were not a rich order but they had enough to cover some expenses, but now that the senior Wardens had left Ferelden he had no clue how such things worked.

* * *

A knock on the door woke Tamlen from his sleep.

"Alistair?" Lyra asked as she opened it, her book lying discarded on her chair right next to his bed. "Please" She stepped aside, allowing the man inside.

"How are you holding up Tamlen?" Alistair asked. Tamlen was beginning to respect Alistair a great deal. The human might not think it, but he had a knack for fighting as well as for getting a job done – it was easy to see why Duncan would have thought the man a worthy addition.

"I am fine" Tamlen said, his mouth horribly dry. In honest he didn't feel any pain. When he had complained about it, Lyra had made a herb mixture and added it to his food. He was tired but admittedly he felt no pain at all – nor much else for that matter.

"I am glad to hear, when does the healer say you can walk?" Ever a practical man. Tamlen tried to hide his grin.

"In two days, if I take it easy, though it depends on my leg as well, she says." The healer had been infuriatingly vague about it.

Alistair nodded. "I was also hoping to speak to you for a moment, Lyra"

The girl nodded "Of cause"

Alistair gave Tamlen a glance, perhaps thinking it best to talk in private but continued none the less. "My moneybag from my backpack has gone missing, and Duran has already spend his all his money..." He trailed off, letting it hang in the air.

"We have some money, if you need Alistair..." Lyra offered. They had used human money even back in their clan, though much had been gifts and trades rather than actual buying and selling. The majority of Lyra and his wealth had come from her nimble hands, while their trader had been selling goods in the human settlements. She never took the full purse, but she had a certain way of easing the weight from the richer merchants.

"If you could spare a bit it would be great"

Tamlen reached down to his own bag and untied their own moneybag, which had, unsurprisingly, grown slightly heavier since he last checked.

"Here you go." Tamlen said, offering the bag of coins to Alistair.

"Thank you, I best pay the innkeeper for the rooms, he started to doubt when Duran couldn't pay his tap."

Tamlen nodded. "You can go with him Lyra, I'll be fine, maybe you can help him find the bag?"

She kept silent, just nodding and went out with Alistair, casting a lingering look at Tamlen before closing the door behind her.

Tamlen sighed, glad to be afforded a bit of time for himself. Lyra had insisted on washing him as they had moved him from the Chantry. Back there only his wounds had been treated, though much of the blood and rotted flesh had still been present on the rest of him as they had found an inn that would allow them lodgings. The bath had been so many things at the same time. Everything had hurt back then,.. walking down to the washroom, stripping, even just sitting in the bathtub had been a trial, but then there was Lyra...

Tamlen swallowed a lump in his throat. She had been helping him along each step of the way, even helping him remove his clothing... They had seen each other naked before, in the wilds. You don't always have time for modesty and when the chance presents itself, it helps with a bath... but this had been different. They had never been close while naked. Even in the tub she had helped where he allowed her to, washing his back, carefully rubbing his legs... She had actually managed to turn the swirl of pain he was in into something... rather nice.

It had been so pleasant and yet they were not bonded. It was improper, it was a shemlen thing to do. While he had enjoyed it, the attention and the feel of her fingers, it had been wrong. Perhaps it was being around humans... Were they _quickening_? Tamlen dreaded the idea. If things were right, then elves should be secluded from the _quickening_ influence of humans. The rashness of things were unbecoming of their people. Lyra had always been too kind, never really standing up for herself and so he had to do it for her. Much as he had with the other members of the clan when it came to humans.

He thought back to the day of the Mirror. Perhaps he should have just killed them, it had been so much easier if he hadn't waited to ask Lyra her opinion. She had been making sure there was no other shem around. He could have told her that the humans had threatened him and the clan, it would have been self defense. If he had killed them then he wouldn't have insisted on seeing the cave. Somehow humans always lead to trouble.

The story of Lyra's parents returned to him unbidden, there was indeed many reasons to hate humans! He sighed, trying to calm down a bit. It didn't do to dwell on such things, only to learn. What was the lesson that fated day? He tried to ignore the obvious; 'Don't rush into things'. Maybe it was 'kill the humans before you get yourself tainted by a mirror' he mused or maybe just 'don't let the humans drive you to impatience'. A part of him would have liked the last one, though, looking back it had not been impatience but something else.

Tamlen let the warm and softness of the bed get to him. He had never actually tried sleeping in such a thing before. In their aravel it had always been slightly different, hammocks being favored in his own family's aravel.

Maybe the lesson should have been 'listen to your feelings' – he had the most unnerving feeling back that day, ever since he stepped into the cave. Tamlen blushed up to his ears, with a stupid grin on his face, burying himself under the sheet. _Listen to your feelings_, if he had done that, then he wouldn't have been the only one in the bathtub earlier.


	7. Chapter 7

Tamlen groaned, it was midday and he was still in bed, and it pissed him off. The young lady Cousland had returned to the castle to speak to the arlessa, Alistair had gone out to help rebuilding what had been destroyed along side with Duran. Lyra had not gone back to his room after she had gone with Alistair, but nor had she returned in the morning and a few words with the nurse had shown that she had not returned to her own room either.

Had his leg been well then he would have looked for her. Had his leg been well then he most likely wouldn't _have_ to look for her, he would just have followed when she left. Had his leg been well then he would most assuredly _not_ have to face the indignity of having an old healer helping him whenever nature called to him. He slammed his fist into the soft bed, heaving a sigh. If he could just stay still today then he would be able to walk around tomorrow, and if he took it easy then they could leave the festering hole that was Redcliffe Village.

Tamlen looked around at the now all too familiar room. The only thing that had a spark of interest was the book Lyra had been reading, though he was determined not to pry. As the long minutes went by that determination faltered slowly and he picked up the book, looking at the cover, a finger marking what progress Lyra had made. There was no title, no anything. He held it there in his hands for a minute before agreeing with himself that there was no harm in reading a bit. He carefully marked an otherwise blank page where Lyra had last been and started at the first page.

_Day one;_

_Duncan pulled me aside again and presented me with this book. He suggests that I should write a journal and how I feel._

_I feel alright today but Tamlen looks pale, much worse than before we left camp, Duncan says he will recover but his eyes says that he lies. The human girl dismissed my thanks for saving Tamlen._

_Day three;_

_Duncan says I must write even when I feel bad. I feel bad!_

Tamlen trailed the pages, he had not even known she kept a journal. He felt slightly bad at just reading it, but since he was already going.

_Day seven; We near this Ostagar and I begin to worry about the Joining though now it is Tamlen's only hope, and perhaps mine as well. Duncan dismisses my questions and the girl does not know any more than I. Tamlen looks better, though his fever has gone up. My healing potions don't help anymore and I fear that we will not get to Ostagar in time._

_I had a horrible dream,it was the beyond. I recall seeing it before but I do not recall when, I fear I may simply slip away one of these days or maybe Tamlen will..._

_Day Eight;_

_I had the nightmare again, Duncan does not want to talk about it. The girl keeps talking about me to Duncan like I can't hear her. Tamlen says he is better but he lies, his fever is even worse and I fear the worst. I wish we had never found the humans!..._

_Day Eleven?_

_Met Alistair today. We got maps. Cure soon._

_Day Thirteen;_

_We got cured, and that is the best that happened in Ostagar. Alistair is sleeping but the kind nurse tells me he will be fine. They say he was ambushed in the Tower and survived by killing an ogre but could not light the beacon with his injuries._

_Tamlen is also depressed these days, I try to cheer him up but he prefers to stay alone, maybe I should give him the time he needs._

_The human girl keeps snapping at me so I stole a pendant of hers, a pretty one with a glyph on one side. Tamlen may prefer violence but if they try to take my pride away then I try to take they coin away – a fair deal as always!..._

_Day Fourteen;_

_The army stinks more than before, I can almost see the air, traveling at the back of the column as we do._

_Alistair is better he spoke a bit to the nurse, Tamlen seems better for it too..._

Tamlen flipped quickly through the pages, letting his eyes read a few lines only to jump onto the next, still partly unwilling to let himself read everything.

… _Tamlen told the most wonderful story, he should have joined me to entertain the children back at our last Clan meeting. I think he feels the changes in our nature as well. The Joining has done something, though how to use it yet. I can sense the other Wardens around me now, also others if I focus. I wonder if the rest feel the same..._

Tamlen skipped forward a few days.

… _Redcliffe Village soon. The nightmare continues, even in the day time. I feel like something claws at my mind constantly, it just won't stop! Maybe every new Gray Warden goes through this, yet no one else complain..._

… _It is like my dream, they are dead, everyone of them. They will close in and suffocate me if I let them._

_Tamlen's leg was injured, and a deep cut in his arm. Been keeping myself busy helping those I can, mimicking the nurse._

_Bathed Tamlen._

_So tired, but I won't sleep..._

…_I can't sleep, the nightmares will get me to me this time. It is not as intense when I am awake..._

The more he read the more obsessed the thoughts had become. There was no doubt, she would try to get rid of the nightmares, but how? The Chantry might know, or perhaps the healer at the Castle, or maybe she confided in Alistair...

Tamlen got out of bed, careful not to put any weight on his bad leg and hopped into the hallway. "Nurse!" He called, though he expected it to be futile, the nurse had many patients but in his function as Gray Warden she had spared some time to him especially.

"Anything wrong?" called a villager he didn't know down from the common room. "I need to send word to Alistair, the human Gray Warden, quickly!"

* * *

Alistair wiped the sweat from his brow. His muscles felt tired but in a wonderful way. He had been working hard these last few days, saving people and now also helping them rebuilt. The men had been almost hostile towards him earlier that morning but as Alistair asked to help rebuilding they had begun to see him as something of a friend. Already the skeleton of three houses had been erected, the wood for the walls were still getting ready though that would not take forever. With luck the first house would be ready for a family the day after this.

"Ser Alistair, Warden!" Alistair looked towards the call, not quite seeing who called.

"I am Alistair!" He called back into the crowd. A second late the boy who had greeted them at the edge of town fought his way through the mass of bodies.

"Message to you from Sister Naarin, the sister taking care of the elf with the wounded leg."

Alistair took the parchment.

_Alistair, _

_Tamlen is convinced that Lyra has gone off in search of a cure to her 'nightmares'. The Chantry has not spoken with her and she has not returned to her room since yesterday evening when you spoke to her. Tamlen would like you to think if you remember anything and send word. I forced him back in bed when Jawlen came to me saying the elf was out of bed, shouting like a madman. If you can then find the girl or just calm your friend down, I don't have time to deal with missing people as well._

_Sister Naarin._

Alistair considered what they had spoken about the day before, she had indeed mentioned some nightmares, but those were common for Wardens just after initiation, and even months later. But if she _had_ thought to 'cure' it then what would she do? As a Templar Alistair knew that there was a connection between the Fade and dreams, as well as between the Fade and mages, what if she knew the same. She might seek out a mage. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, the list of mages in Redcliffe was limited to a certain blood mage who was currently locked up.

The lock might not stop Lyra though. He was sure that the girl was a thief, and despite that, he had never, even once, seen her taken anything from anyone. So either she was _that _good or else she was quite reluctant.

Alistair considered it, would she really go to a blood mage for aid? Everyone knew blood mages were dangerous! Reguardless of if she did or didn't then he would have to look in on the mage, he was a Templar though perhaps not in name. It was part of his duty to be sure mages were not running wild.

"Tomas, can you tell Tamlen, the elf with the leg, that I'll be looking for Lyra and that he should stay put?"

Tomas eyed Alistair, seeming to weight the request. "Fine, I'll do it, but only 'cause you are a Warden fellow!"

"Works for me" smiled Alistair, ruffling the kids hair.

* * *

Of cause, what did elves know of magic, blood or otherwise. He let out a curse and ran a bit quicker towards the castle. Lyra had left yesterday evening, chances were that if she wanted then she could have freed the mage and been back for breakfast. Either she didn't visit the mage or else something went wrong.

Alistair ran through the open gates to the castle, the few guards who were at their post didn't question him. He turned right heading directly for the garrison, sending one of the guards to get the lady Cousland to join him in the prison while getting another of the guard to follow him. The guards followed without a word, thankfully, and Alistair only just remembered to bring a sword as he was passing a weapon rack. It felt great when some things just worked out. There were torches burning down in the dungeon though it seemed to be an even more eerie quiet than he would have imagined.

Not wholly surprising Alistair found the cell empty, the wards carefully broken and the lock either picked or opened by a key.

"What now?" asked the guard, he couldn't have been much more than twenty, just a few years younger than Alistair.

"Grab one of the torches and follow me, with luck the passage way will still be open."

Alistair went to the wall, sure enough, the secret passageway was still open, but why? Maybe it slipped her mind or maybe she left it open when the mage took control of her. Focus, we need to find them first!

"I'll go first and you follow behind, let the door stay open we don't want to shut ourselves in."

The guard swallowed a lump and did as he asked, opening the doorway wide – just to be sure that it wouldn't lock behind them.

Alistair had taken the torch, though it helped only a little, though he could run without falling, something that, by the sounds and curses, the guard behind him was having trouble doing.

"h- how far does this lead, ser?" the guard asked, panting and wheezing as he was keeping up with Alistair. Alistair was only in his normal clothing but the guard had been running in a mixture of studded leather and chainmail, and the strain was taking it's toll.

"It can't be far," Alistair dared look backwards for a quick glance seeing the kid fighting to keep up with him. They would need a break when they got up the ladder. "Just a bit more and-"

While looking backwards Alistair's foot hit something falling forward. In a reflex his arms tried to catch onto something and struck another object with the torch knocking Alistair sideways and the torch free from his grasp.

Alistair landed on something living or recently dead as the case may have been – as it didn't move. In the dim light he could just make out the dark hair and the outline of Lyra's features – why was she lying here.

"Damn it all!" cried another voice further ahead, he had taken the torch and was running further along the tunnel.

"Stop!" Cried Alistair, trying to rise from the girl who had broken his fall. "Soldier, get her back to the castle, I'll get the mage."

"R- Right, y-yes ser, will do!"

Alistair moved past Lyra's body and moved on ahead, an anger starting to rise in his gut, not just for the mage but for Lyra as well. How could she let herself be so reckless?! She had always seemed so grounded.

The mage had gotten too much of a head start, and the torch was no longer visible, the ladder must be soon. Alistair kept a hand in front of his face and tried to hurry a bit more, causing him to stumble a few times. When the ladder finally came it still came as a surprise, knocking him backwards to the floor.

A way up was the swinging light of a torch. Alistair hurried up as fast as he could, gaining on the mage. The mage soon stopped at the hatch leading into the windmill which served partly as cover for the secret route. The mage seemed to have problems though, waving the torch widely. Maybe Lyra locked it when she used it to get in?

The light at the top of the ladder disappeared as did the mage – she hadn't locked it. Alistair held back a curse and continued upwards. At least he was gaining on the mage though in his hurry to get up the ladder the sword had begun to nick his leg.

Alistair reached the top of the ladder only to find that something was keeping the hatch closed. Alistair braced himself and pushed, whatever was on top of the hatch gave way only to come down on him again. A little more strength. Alistair pushed again, this time as much as he could hand whatever had obstructed the hatch was cast off. He moved upwards showing the interior of the mill much as they had left it the day before.

The hatch swung shut, catching Alistair while he was getting up. It hammered him over the head and it was enough, he had not considered that it might have been the mage who had been trying to keep the hatch shut rather than a crate.

He shock and pain of it had made him let go with his hands and with only one foot holding him up he was pushed back into the darkness of the passageway. As Alistair was pushed down the foot holding him up slipped in the darkness, hurting like a hound had bit him. He was about to pummel to the depths below when he caught onto the ladder with one hand, though his ankle which had for but a moment supported all his weight must have twisted badly.

A click from the hatch above suggested that the only way forward was going back to the castle – through the long dark corridor with a twisted ankle and a foul mood. Lovely, could the day have gone any better?


	8. Chapter 8

Elissa had ordered some guards to the mill to capture the mage, or at least see if he had escaped.

Alistair had been in a foul mood, much as she had expected. He was that way lately, though it likely had to do with mages. Mages it seemed, unnerved him quite a bit. Being a Templar would likely do that, though she too had a healthy respect for them.

She had simply dealt with it all as the problems came. Sending both Alistair and Lyra to the healer and returned back to the arlessa to continue their talk, happy to leave the rest to the captain of the guards.

Alistair had likely forgotten but she certainly hadn't, she had always had a strong sense for order and these were _orders_ in the most direct form. Since the arl was not able then the arlessa would be in charge. She had not liked the idea at first but Elissa had refused to take it to bann Teagan to be settled. Brother or not the man was still far too insecure to take the responsibility that was needed at current. It was of cause the letter which they had been tasked to bring to arl Eamon.

There had been a separate envelope inside the letter addressed to Alistair, which she had handed to him later that day in the infirmary. He was not as wounded as she had expected and neither was Lyra by looks, though the healer asked to have her stay the night.

The letter had sent them to meet one of the Gray Warden suppliers located in Lothering, he would have further instructions. The general mission for them would be to gather what support they could while the seniors did the same outside Ferelden. Alistair had not been surprised by the letter though Elissa could say that she didn't like being kept in the dark as much as they were. Her father Bryce or her brother had always included her in their planning, such things always seemed more effective than keeping each other in the dark. Would that the seniors do the same.

The whole group had moved off already next morning, Tamlen was especially eager to be going.

Duran had been wise, getting new provisions as well as some tents and blankets. Exactly how he had paid for it all was something she had not bothered to ask, knowing she would most likely not approve of it either way.

Before they had gone Elissa had made sure that the arlessa had written a note telling the Circle of Magi what had happened with Conner. Elissa had added her own letter later just before the courier left to the Circle, explaining her own deal with the _demon_ hoping that they could help Conner in some way. The world had been much brighter once the courier had taken off.

* * *

Sadly the mood around camp the next few days had not been as bright, Alistair had started out trying to explain, in the most minute detail, just how much was wrong with blood magic and the mages that use it to Lyra, who by looks was still sleeping poorly. To Elissa's surprise Lyra had simply listened to the full talk before voicing a small "oh" and continued like nothing had happened. Of cause what exactly _had _happened was still to debate, but if Lyra wanted to keep it to herself then that was final. Tamlen had taken offense to the talk though, refusing both he and Lyra's cooking skills that night in a petty revenge – though an effective one as Alistair had apologized the next day.

"So we will be there tomorrow then?" Alistair asked, Tamlen nodding pointing to a spot on the map. "We are here, Lothering lies" he pointed, "here. So about tomorrow at mid day if we start early."

"That is a blessing, another day like this and my back will walk out on my, I swear I can never find a place to lie down for the night without huge boulders stabbing me in the back."

"That is your own fault, besides, Duran doesn't complain and he shares the tent with you." Elissa added, glad that the mood was lightening a bit.

"Dwarves are used to sleep on rocks!"

"Its true" added Duran as he settled down at the campfire. "We do sleep on rocks"

"You can't be serious!"

"Well sure we got a decent layer of bed between us, but it is roughly the same" the dwarf grinned, taking a bite from an apple. "We wouldn't want the ladies to break their back when we have a little fun,"

Alistair snorted into his cup deeply enjoying the comment it seemed, while Elissa felt her temper flare for a moment before she let it go. It was not her favorite sort of jokes and the days travel had been hard. The pair of them had a certain charm that made even their horrible sense of humor appear less appalling though. Tamlen it seemed did not pay any of them any heed what so ever, keeping to the cooking.

"How was life in Orzammar, Duran?" Elissa asked, as the moment was over. She had been trying hard to imagine the huge caves which dwarves supposedly lived in.

Duran didn't respond quite away, stroking his beard a few times before answering.

"It was home, I guess. There was parties, orgies, politics. There was heat, comfort and respect. To my mind Orzammar had everything anyone could wish for."

"_'Had'_..."

"Indeed. I thought I was playen politics well, but I had not thought that me kid brother might be better." He shook her head taking another bite of the apple. "Naw, life in Orzammar was good."

"How come you left then?"

"Dinna I tell ye? I was cast out for killing me elder brother?"

"What?!"

"Oh yes! By luck I knew there was Gray Wardens in the tunnels. With a bit of luck and cunning – not to mention my faithful axe – I managed to find them before they had left the main tunnel near Orzammar."

"But, _did_ you kill him?" Alistair asked, he too had been drawn in by the story.

"Naw, but ye can be damn sure me kid brother had a hand in it. I was framed for the murder and he was the only one left in the line of succession. He always was a clever one, weak but clever."

"You aren't angry that he got you kicked out?" Elissa asked, incredulous.

"Oh yes! And when I return I intend to plant me axe in his back!" The change had been so quick, at one point he was seemingly carefree but just then all merriment had been drained from him. "The ancestors knows I am right, and I shall gladly chop him up to prove it."

Elissa looked into the campfire, the cookingpot simmering just above it. "You know, Duncan told me something about being a Gray Warden..."

"Aye?"

She felt everyone looking at her, suddenly she regretted saying anything. "We... We can most likely not have children anymore."

To his credit Duran took it quite calm, Tamlen looked to be the only one really reacting at all.

"So?" Duran asked, pointedly ignoring Tamlen as the elf was about to speak.

"So, if you kill your brother your line will end, your house will come to an end." Elissa carefully studied his face, secretly hoping he would give her a clue to her own problems. If Fergus had died – which was quite likely – then her line would have ended, and all because of her, all because of Duncan and the Gray Wardens.

"It be not all Aeducan that will have disappeared, only the royal branch, but you are correct." He tossed the half-eaten apple into the trees. "Such is the world, I guess. Perhaps I may have gotten a child with one of the duster wenches though." Duran gave a crooked grin.

The dwarf was impossible.

Elissa had noticed Tamlen had been very quite, well _more_ quite then usual that evening and had volunteered to take the first guard.

Lyra, who had been gone ever since the camp had been set, must have returned in the night as she had been present at the breakfast, only then had Elissa figured out what had happened. She must have gone to Lothering to get provisions, as the bread they were eating had been fresh. The mood had been high that morning, partly due to the freshness of the food. Alistair made odd comments here and there, even Tamlen seemed better off than the night before. Both he and Lyra looked like they could sleep while walking though – which might have been the case as the group had been doing just that almost immediately after food. They were intend to make good speed to Lothering and to meet this contact who would give more orders.

* * *

The town slowly came into view as they left the forests and came into the farmland surrounding it.

"Lets find an inn and then ask around for... what was his name again?"

"Yelings, Alistair. You only made jokes about him seven times on the way here." Elissa responded, sounding quite tired.

Alistair couldn't help his grin. "What a wonderful name, Yellings. Yell-ing-s. I wonder if he has any brothers... Like Screamings or Cryings"

"What 'bout Bellowings" added Duran, still in good spirits despite having trouble keeping the furious pace.

"Sorry to interrupt your merry little talk" came a voice from the fence, a bunch of highwaymen if judged by their clothing.

"It is fine my good man, I prefer the silence myself" commented Elissa, sending him a glare that would have silenced lesser men.

"Well spoken lass! I don't wish to keep you, you see, but lately with all the _trouble_ here at the road, my friends and I have taken the heavy burden to ease travelers way."

"Is that so?" she asked giving Alistair a glance, she gave her sword a light pat though only for his eyes.

He gave a small nod. He would be ready if they started anything.

"Indeed, my lady, I know your group might not need protection from the forest, but I warn you, there are thieves and killers on the way to Lothering. Me and my mates here" They all patted their weapons in unison. "Try to make sure that doesn't happen, for a small fee of cause."

Their little show might have been impressive to most commoners but having seen Gray Wardens drill, their exercises, their training, this paled in comparison. Alistair remained unimpressed.

"And this, 'small fee' what would that be?" Elissa continued, she seem rather impressed either.

"Well, since you are all so finely dressed for the hardships of travel... 40 silver for the lot of you."

"Well 40 silver is reasonable, considering that you are working to improve safety here."

"Indeed my lady" The leader gave a toothy smile. To Alistair's surprise the man had all his teeth, either he was new to the job or very good - or like Alistair had connections to people with magic.

"But in the larger picture Gray Wardens will end up protecting your hide, from Darkspawn." Elissa continued, quite unaffected by the man.

"Gray Wardens my lady? That lot disappeared just after they killed the king. Thats hardly saving anything." The band gave a collective grin, their leading still leaning against a tree at the side of the road.

"We didn't kill the king." She said, flat. It was no excuse just cold fact.

"You are Gray Wardens, are you?" he gave a short laugh, though his band looked a little worried.

"Indeed we are, and we are going though you, one way or another." Elissa even gave him a wicked grin. She is enjoying this! Alistair had hardly believed it but the group seemed very worried about the turn of events and the leader had clearly noticed that his men were on the verge of running off.

"Well my lady, this changes things. As things are we are both servants of Ferelden are we not, I guess it evens it all out. Move along."

Both groups passed by the other, all very tense, everyone having a firm hold to their weapons.

When they were well clear of the group Alistair couldn't hold the smile from his voice.

"I can't believe you managed to pull that off, I bet you could even have convinced them to pay _us_ at the end!"

Elissa shook her head though smiling.

"Actually they did pay" commented Tamlen handing Alistair a purse. It looked to be in disrepair, though quite full. "Lyra managed to sneak it off one of them."

"You know, I'd be worried, if it wasn't for the fact that you share the loot with us.

"What loot you know of, at least" she gave a weak smile, still tired it seemed.

* * *

"Anyone know this town?" Elissa asked looking at the first signpost. The streets were getting more crowded, people making their way one way or another.

"Only in the passing" Alistair rubbed the back of his head, trying to recall the layout. Lothering was not as huge as Denerim but large enough to get lost in. As a town outside the Bannor several people interested in living there. Now however the streets were filled with refugees from the south, areas closer to Ostagar.

"Right, well, the markets is that way according to the sign. We there is bound to be an inn around that place."

"It'll be more expensive if we stay near the center"

Elissa sighed. "I know Alistair, but chances are we that there won't be any rooms in any of the inns anyway, but just maybe they know where we should go look if we should have a chance."

"Alright then, maybe we can find 12 Miller Road while we are at it, it is where this contact should be living.

"14 Miller Road, Alistair."

"Really?"

"Yes. Anyway should just try to blend in I suppose, if the highwaymen were right then Gray Wardens are not exactly welcome."

There was a nod of assent. They moved into town, the streets were bristling with life, though many seemed to be refugees. A few times they were approached by beggars, at first Alistair had given in to his good nature, giving the poor some copper bits, though it proved to be a bad idea. Before long the group had gotten quite a crowd all trying to get some money. It was not before Tamlen had lost his temper that the crowd dispersed. No one was willing to loose a hand for a few copper bits.

The town square was packed. It seemed that all the refugees was gathering there everyone calling out for friends or family trying to push through or make way. It was chaos.

"Right, Alistair, Duran and Tamlen you three find this contact, try asking around. Lyra and I will find us an inn to stay in the mean time. We meet right here, that way we avoid most of the crowd. Try not to get lost alright?" With that Elissa took Lyra's arm and matched off into the throng. The look on Lyra's face was that of pure panic, something which Alistair could not help but find funny.

"Well you heard the boss, lets find this fellow. So, any suggestions?"


	9. Chapter 9

Lothering seemed quite small in the game, but I had not expected to write it so huge that it would take almost half a year to continue with the story. For that I am sorry! With summer here I'll hopefully be able to add a bit more to the story. I hope there are still a few who will actually get to read it but regardless it will be posted. As I mentioned (a few months back) a few of the supporting cast will join in, one in this chapter. I hope they fall in everyones favor.

Please read and review, thanks.

* * *

The streets were littered with refugees, even well off the main roads. They had wandered aimlessly for almost an hour before Tamlen finally had enough and asked a city guard for directions, and though he had been skeptical of their motives, armed as they were, he pointed the way. Supposedly the area in which the house they were looking for stood had long since become one of the more wealthy areas of town. As such the guards had been asked to keep beggars and refugees away from the streets there. This was done by having guard posts by all the ways in and out of the area.

"Halt" Commanded an officer clad in chainmail, with a very intricate badge on his left arm, the guard had just moved out of a small guard station at the side of the road. Alistair and the others stopped in their tracks.

"What business do you have in this part of town?"

"We are looking for a friend" Alistair answered, offering a smile to the somewhat grim looking officer.

"And who would that be?" His tone suggesting that he didn't believe a word of it.

"A mister Yellings, he lives on Miller Road"

"Yeah I know him, what business do you have with Yellings?" The officer placed a hand on his hilt, which by the sound of things, the group behind him did as well. Alistair kept calm though, he knew enough of Lothering to know that the guard might intimidate but not actually cause a stir.

"It is our business, now if we could be on our way..."

"Sorry, it is my job to keep the gutter away from this part of the city."

"Sir, do we look like beggars or thieves to you?"

"The way you are dressed you look like brigands and hired killers!"

Alistair kept himself from rolling his eyes. "Certainly hired killers would dress better, my socks have more holes than your chainmail has rings, but that is besides the point. We are here because mister Yellings is expecting us."

"Hmph, your kind usually stick to the warehouse district."

"My good man, we just need to speak to mister Yellings and then we will be out of here, we have no intention of starting anything."

The officer crooked an eyebrow, looking past Alistair to the elf and dwarf. "Is that so?"

"You can follow us if you like, we could use some directions as well, none of us have been here before."

"No, my duty is here..." The officer scratched his cheek. "Fine, the street you are looking for is the third to the left. The numbers are marked so you can easily find him."

"Thank you sir" Alistair gave him a curt nod and the group passed.

"Just don't linger, the locals will give me hell if they see your kind just walking about!" the officer called after them.

"Got it" Alistair yelled back. "No loitering in Lothering!"

"How come that there are so much chaos in most of the town and this district is almost barren?" asked Tamlen as they walked past the first line of old houses. Every one of the houses seemed to be well built and many had a small but very well kept garden in front of their houses.

Alistair agreed, it seemed unjust but there were more important things to do than complain about the injustices in the land.

The house lay where the officer had said. Compared to the other estates near by the house paled but it was still beautiful if compared to the other areas of town. They headed through a paved path amidst green grass and knocked on the front door. Alistair couldn't help but take in the beauty of it all. A few of the trees in the area were turning golden and several flowers were still in bloom.

"Yes?" An elderly man had opened the door without much sound.

"Are you mister Yellings?"

"No, sir, I am not. Are you guests of the Master as well?"

Alistair shared a glance with Duran. "We are, but do you have other visitors at the moment?"

The elder man frowned and made a face like he had swallowed something nasty. "We do, a young woman made her way here and refuses to leave."

"What?" Alistair could not imagine anyone just walking into a house and then refuse to leave, and even less that you could get away with it.

"Indeed sir, but please" The ma stepped aside and allowed the group to enter.

"I shall inform mister Yellings, please wait as I get him." Without waiting for reply the older man had turned through a door still moving without a sound.

"It sure is a nice place" Alistair commented, noting that even the waiting room was richly decorated.

Duran only grunted and Tamlen did not seem overly impressed. Perhaps human art meant little to them.

"Ah! Thank the Maker that you have gotten here, the... _young woman_" the fat little man could hardly contain his anger, but still, ever polite it would seem. "Refuses to leave before she has spoken to you lot"

"Who is it?" Alistair asked, curious.

"You don't know?" The little man rubbed the bridge of his nose. "She is a witch and says she has something of yours. She refused to tell me what."

"But what is her name?"

"You know my name, or have you already forgotten?" It was Morrigan.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Alistair asked finding it hard to control his voice.

"You two know each other?" asked the dwarf though he was ignored by both parties.

"I come with the treaties, again. Your order does seem to loose them easily."

"Where did you...?"

"Mother took them from Ostagar just before the Darkspawn overran all the fortress. She knew their importance and it was easy as they still carried traces of the magic that protected them in the tower for so long."

Alistair eyed her skeptically. Surely she was not doing this out of the kindness of her heart. "Why?"

"Mother knows what the senior Gray Wardens will ask of you" she snatched a letter from Yellings' hands in a quick movement and opened it in a single rip, leaving the letter with Alistair to read.

"If you can read I am sure it will say that you are tasked to get allies here in Ferelden, right?" Morrigan allowed Alistair a moment to read, though impatience took her before Alistair was halfway through the letter.

"It will be much less painful to do so with these treaties if you use them right. Mother wants the blight ended as much as anyone and she is willing to help to that end."

"So she sends these treaties?" asked Tamlen.

"The treaties, and me. I will travel with you, learning what I can of the world while you do what you must."

"_What?_" cried Alistair almost choking on it.

"You need a mage on your team, and I am willing to help."

"Sounds like a deal lass!" exclaimed Duran. He was favored with a wry smile from the girl and a scowl from Alistair.

Alistair was about to voice his complaints even more loudly but was halted by Tamlen who put a hand on his shoulder, forcing Alistair's attention. "She has shown twice now that she holds no ill intent, and you saw how deftly she got us through the Wilds, even finding us in a city like this. If we are to find allies around Ferelden then her help will be most welcome."

"She is a practitioner, an apostate!" Before Alistair could continue he was silenced from an unexpected source.

"Quiet! Do you want the whole neighborhood to know I am harboring your kind? Now kindly take the young lady and the orders and _leave_!" The fat little man looked like he was close to having a heart attack.

"Alright, fine, we are leaving. This is not settled yet though!"

Morrigan moved past her with a grace few could have mustered and fewer still would have dared in any civil area. "I am sure it isn't little Templar, shall we?" She didn't move or stop to see if he followed though the dwarf was never far behind her.

The way back to the meeting point had been surprisingly uneventful. Alistair felt spent and had walked in silence next to Tamlen at the back of their little group, Duran taking the lead talking animated to Morrigan about Maker knows what.

* * *

Elissa was leaning against a wall near the spot where they intended to meet, slightly unsure of how the news would be taken. They had found a, and just that, _a single _room. They had managed to talk the manager into adding a bed more. All in all it was less than ideal though much better than having to sleep in the streets.

She looked around again, finding the scene little different from last time. Still no Alistair, still too many beggars, still chaos. She thought back to Lyra who was 'guarding the room' so to speak. Elissa couldn't help a sly smile. They had gotten to talk a bit, exchanging tales as it were. Elissa had talked to her about the supposed demon in Redcliff Castle, her own version this time, leaving out nothing. Lyra had not commented at first, only listening without judging or trying to make her hurry – which was nice. Elissa had decided then and there that she would tell Alistair as well, hopefully it would alleviate some of troubles.

In return Lyra had told a little tale of her own, how she had gone to see the mage in the dungeons. How she had picked his cell door. She had originally not intended to free him, but she had been so desperate for his council that she had agreed when he asked for his freedom in payment. Almost at the end of the tunnel she had started hallucinating again, but the mage had joined her in the sleep not long after. He had guided her, told her that the place she was trapped was of her own making, a tiny world created from the boundless _fade_. She had listened and slowly peeled the world apart until everything blacked out and she awoke in the arms of a soldier in Redcliff castle who told her that Alistair had saved her. Of cause Lyra had put two and two together, Alistair had most likely fallen over her in the darkness and knocked her out.

The whole story seemed strange to Elissa, but she did not voice anything. Lyra it seemed was glad to get it off her chest, though she had clearly not thought all the complications through. Elissa was starting to however. If the girl could manipulate her dreams then she was surely a mage, one without the supervision of the circle at that. An apostate.

Something at the corner of her eye caught her attention, sure enough it was Alistair and the others forcing their way through a horde of people. His call was lost to the noise all around them though but she could almost _feel_ the presence of their little group, something akin to Ostargar, and Redcliff Castle now that she thought about it.

When the group came closer it became apparent that they had picked up a harlot, how exactly they would explain that should be rich.

Duran was the first to squeeze through. "Found an inn, did ya?" he asked giving room for the rest of the group joined the conversation.

"Yes, but there was only a single room. Lyra is staying there at the moment. We will have to use some of our bedrolls though, we only got two single beds in the room." She faded off, keeping an eye on the scantly clad female who seemed to be the elephant no one was willing to talk about.

Almost a full minute went by without anyone feeling the need to break the silence, the girl in question it seemed, enjoying show.

"She... ah, will be coming with us." Alistair finally said, looking quite resigned.

Elissa was not sure whether to yell or knock all three males silly, surely they had _not_ been thinking with their brains for the last few hours. But if they could not see it then...

"I am not sure we require your," Elissa cleared her throat giving the girl a dismissive look. "services anymore. If you still need mone -"

"_That_ is _not_ why she is here! She is..." Alistair looked like he wanted nothing more than to sink into the ground, blushing a fierce red. "I'll explain when we get to the room!"

The trip back to the inn was one of the most humiliating Elissa had partaken in for as long as she could remember, with the possible exception of the party accompanying the birth of Oren, Fergus' son. Elissa shook her head trying to clear the memories. She had expected it to sting, but she must finally have started to let them go. The dead did not return.


	10. Chapter 10

Alistair had breathed a sigh of relief when the evening was finally over and people began to settle in whichever ways they could.

A simple thing as sleeping arrangements was far from as easy as he had dared imagine. Morrigan had demanded a bed, something which only Elissa had opposed, though it seemed more from spite than anything, and in the end she gave over. The second bed was to have been Tamlen and Lyra's as they could sleep in a single bed. Almost needless to say, neither of the elves found that decent and in the end Elissa had gotten it, though she had to fight Duran every step of the way.

"Alistair?" he opened his eyes, though it was not with his approval. The hushed voice came from Elissa who was towering before him next to his pillow.

"Yes?" he finally replied when it was clear that she wouldn't leave. His eyes focusing on the woman standing in a worn nightgown. She had gotten it back in Redcliffe Village though traveling in rough country in all kinds of weather had marred some of its splendor.

"I had something I forgot to tell you after dinner. It is important" she added when he was about to turn over and continue into a restless sleep.

"Fine" he bit off, rising from the bedroll. "What?"

"Let us go into the hallway, so we don't wake the others." Alistair had rolled his eyes at that but the girl had already moved to the door and he had no choice but to follow.

As they softly closed the door behind them Alistair was quick to break the silence. "Look, everything we told you is true. Morrigan really _is_ a mage, not -" he stated dully in anticipation to what she would talk about.

"I know, it isn't that"

"What then?" Alistair asked not bothering to hide his yawn.

"I found out why Lyra had such problems with her nightmares,"

Alistair woke a bit at that. Lyra was the center of a growing line of questions that he didn't have adequate answers for – so was Elissa, for that matter.

"She is a mage. It must have kicked in after Ostargar or near Redcliffe."

He took a moment to process it. It would certainly explain a few things, perhaps also what she was doing with the bloodmage. It gave rise to a list of other questions then. She was an apostate, clearly, but by associating with a bloodmage she might even be a maleficar. In which case she was a walking timebomb of wanton destruction.

"I... see" he replied finally when she gave him a strange look.

"I figure that we were quite fortunate actually. She could learn a spell or two from Morrigan this way."

"You _can't_ be serious!" Alistair burst out before he continued in a hush to Elissa who seemed somewhat taken aback by his outburst.

"She might draw Maker knows what to her at this stage if she doesn't have a teacher and -"

"Another reason why Morrigan is a blessing in disguise! She could teach her."

"Morrigan is an apostate, a dangerous one at that, and possibly a maleficar. You noticed her eyes didn't you?"

"Why did you agree to take her along if you were so against her?" Elissa hissed.

"I can keep an eye on her this way, and everyone seems so taken in by her."

Elissa was quiet for a long time, likely thinking the same thoughts that he himself was thinking: They knew just enough to know they needed to know more. The Chantry or better yet the Circle would be a natural choice to ask for aid. The matter of gathering aid could be done in the same stroke. With luck they could get a mage to travel with them, to teach Lyra and keep an eye on Morrigan... and settle his worries concerning Elissa as well. This might even be an elaborate plot by some nefarious demon. The demon they met in Redcliffe Castle might plot something like this. Another reason to be cautious, and seek aid from some professionals.

"We should meet with the Circle, they could teach Lyra how to control her powers and teach us how to control Morrigan."

Elissa nodded. "Yes, I was thinking something along the lines, but we can't let them take Lyra away for years of training, we are few enough as it is. If Lyra leaves then Tamlen is sure to follow – and we loose our best link to finding elven allies."

That was an aspect that Alistair had not considered. What if the mages demanded to keep Lyra? Would she refuse? If she didn't refuse, should they let her leave?

"We are all Wardens" Alistair said after a small pause. "They have no hold over us" The only danger would be if Lyra wanted to stay. With no stable structure Alistair could not use rank to force anyone. He hated being in charge, but not everyone was like he...

"We should get some sleep, we will have to set off tomorrow or at the very least the one after that."

Elissa had already turned, moving though the door into their room. He had wanted her to stop, try to tell her of a suddenly imposing train of thought. _She_ might take over where he could not. _Would_ not.

* * *

Breakfast was a quiet affair, everyone having slept poorly it seemed. Alistair had through most of the meal been wishing Elissa would break the silence and speak to them about the trip to the Circle. Elissa however looked quiet content to simply eat her food in piece.

Not that the food was anything to be thrilled about. They had to pay 9 silvers for a single room and some stale bread and some bowls with oatmeal. They even had to argue about that to the innkeeper as he had only given them two beds then _he _thought it would be fair to only give them two bowls. When he heard that they were a group of Wardens and everyone was armed to the teeth – not that they threatened him directly in any way – he had conceded.

"So," started Alistair, painfully aware that everyone was looking at him. "I have been thinking -"

A snicker from Morrigan shattered his momentum.

"What were you thinking about?" asked Elissa sending the mage a quelling look.

Alistair sat dumbstruck for a moment but regained quickly. Why couldt Elissa not just have continued? He sighed mentally but continued. "Where we should go from here. The letter we got from Yellings say that we should gather allies. With the aid of the treaties Morrigan provided it should be an easy matter. And... well..." His mind went blank. The horror of poor planning.

"What are these treaties?" asked Lyra when Alistair had stopped making a fool of himself.

"What? Oh, well, I haven't had time to look at them..."

"Maybe we should do that then?" She suggested over the table, Alistair felt suddenly caught, what if the Circle was not even included in the treaties?

"It sounds like an idea" finished Elissa, giving Alistair a puzzled look before continuing. "We need some supplies as well, it is still warm but winter starts soon and we should be prepared when we travel the road. I propose that we use today to gather supplies and come up with a plan for what to do next."

Everyone gave a nod, save for Morrigan who just sat back and observed. The sneaky little woman that she was. Almost like she had heard his thoughts she turned to cast a look on Alistair who couldn't help but feel his cheeks heat. Could she read minds?

"Also, we will need another bedroll for Morrigan, some warmer cloths for us all... How much coin do we have anyway?"

A few of the others started to fiddle with their purses and only belated did Alistair realize that he carried Lyra's ill gotten goods. When they finally opened the purse it came as quite a surprise, Lyra had likely had no chance of knowing, but the purse she had cut must have contained all the sovereign that the group had gathered, 17 sovereign in total in addition to a small number of silver.

"For a group of bandits they sure did gather quite a bit!" Alistair burst out, instantly lowering his voice as a few of the nearby patrons cast a glare their direction.

"Indeed, if they figure out it was us they will likely not let us pass another time..." Tamlen injected, casting a glance to Lyra.

The girl faltered under their stare, something Alistair could sympathize with. "Regardless we can put this money to good use. With so many refugees prices are sure to soar." He couldn't help himself and set the innkeeper an icy glare – not that the man noticed.

"Right, so let us spit up the duties" continued Elissa, interrupting Lyra's muffled apologies.

"I shall gather my own things." Morrigan said, looking Elissa directly in the eye and Alistair could only imagine the battle they were waging – a battle he would have lost the second it started.

"Fine. But please get some..." Elissa trailed off, looking for the proper word. "concealing clothes, we do not want to stand out."

Alistair could almost feel the frost in Morrigans voice. "I dress for no one but myself. Why should I dress to please others?" She snatched a single sovereign from the table and motioned to rise.

"Society does place value on appearance, specifically on how well people blend in."

Morrigan stopped in mid motion and looked at the girl sitting at the end of the table, her yellow eyes searching for something.

"Much like in the Wilds, we survive by blending in."

A smile spread on Morrigans face, a triumphant smile. "I have not been concealing myself in the Wilds, by right of _power_ I do not need to!" At this point several of the patrons in the inn was casting weary glances at their table, at Morrigan in particular though she did not seem to mind. "Those with power make rules, Warden. _I_ have power and I shall do as I please!" With that she finished her motion with a certain flourish, rising from the table, and turning quickly and left. Her hair swaying violently behind her.

"That woman...!" Elissa muttered, just audibly.

* * *

The groups was divided easily after that, Tamlen and Alistair would get some rations while Elissa and Lyra would see if they could find some warmer clothes as well as other random equipment, like a bedroll for Morrigan and if lucky a cheap mule to carry some of their bags. Duran was left with the impossible task of tracking down Morrigan, and if that didn't work then the more pleasant task of getting news – which to his mind meant hitting the nearest bar listening to gossip.

"So, food, exciting isn't it?" Alistair commented in good spirits as they reached the marketplace. To say there was chaos was an understatement, there were huge crowds yelling loudly, quite a bt complaining to the few guards while others were simply screaming out their lungs with doomsday prophecies or other nonsense.

"I wonder if they even _got_ any food here" Tamlen commented as he walked by a few stalls selling very little of anything.

"Not many sell food these days," commented one of the sales men by one of the stands. Tamlen stopped, noting that Alistair continued to look on the other stalls.

"If you buy something I can point you in the right direction though" the man gave a toothy smile, not the most pleasant sight Tamlen had ever beheld. He was suddenly reminded that he had not been been on his mouth branch for the last few days.

"I will look around a bit first." Tamlen replied not really having much faith in the salesman.

"Your loss" grinned the man and returned to his chair. For good measure Talmen cast a look at what the man was selling, it looked like copper ornaments and colored bottles. It was little wonder the man was down on his luck.

Across the square Alistair looked to have found something and Tamlen hurried past a few stalls which looked in pretty poor shape. "Did you find something?"

"Yes" Alistair said, dragging the reply out a bit, sounding a bit thoughtful though that was likely not the case. "But not quite what we had hoped for.

Only then did Tamlen notice the small figure behind Alistair. "Don't tell me you are bringing kids along."

"What? No, no, nothing like that. These two got separate from their parents and have nowhere to go. It happened yesterday..." A small nod from the oldest of the two _very_ young girls confirmed it, Tamlen got a quick look at the girl, dirty and in poor clothes with a mass of red curls and looked very hungry.

"Alistair..." They really didn't have time, or food for that matter, to save everyone, especially not when a good quarter of the town was lost from their parents or on the brink of starvation.

"I can't just leave them like this, what if..." thankfully he stopped, though only to cast a fond look at the girls who still stood behind him. The eldest couldn't have been very old, perhaps four or five.

Tamlen knew he would regret it. "What is your name girl?" he asked, kneeling down to be at eye hight.

"M-melys" she stuttered, barely audible.

"And what are your parents names, Melys?"

"Mom's name is Kath and daddy's name is Virigil" Tamlen gave a tentative smile and got up walking the short distance to the nearest guard.

"Have you heard of a Kath or Virigil looking for their daughters?"

The guard drew an exasperated breath "This again?" he confirmed and gave the girl a glance. "Their parents likely left her here. Haven't heard from them. There are _many_ lost kids on the streets, I can't keep track of them all. The names don't ring a bell."

"Can't or won't?" asked Tamlen, sporting a wicked smile.

"_Can't, ser!_ I have tried finding a few of the folk in my off time, I found two sets so far – both had dropped their kids and hoped to move north"

Tamlen took a step back in disbelief. The elvhen were generally not so fertile, and their way of life didn't encourage large packs of children, leaving his own kids was the last thing he would have wanted.

"It may be hard to swallow for a knife ear, but it is the truth. The times makes monsters of us all"

Tamlen looked away but gave a nod. More than he would like to admit, and he was likely no different from the guard in that. Everyone was becoming more vile, Alistair perhaps as an exception.

Tamlen took a deep breath and steeled himself, he would be a monster in this. Upon returning to the pair, who had been talking merrily, Tamlen took hold of Alistair's shoulder, forcing the man to rise.

"We have much to do." He turned to the kids, handing the eldest a few silver – not that she would survive long but it was the best he could do. "We cannot help you kids, stay if you must but I suggest you try to survive as you can." With Alistair in tow he turned and walked with brisk steps towards the junk dealer who might know where to get food. It was likely the hardest thing he had done.


End file.
